The Right to Health Cluster of the USAID-SCALE project anchored by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) recently held a town hall meeting with stakeholders and citizens advocating for the increased uptake of Health Insurance in Nasarawa State. 

Universal Health Coverage which is one of the main goals of the project is about the right to health. Everyone – rich or poor – should get the health care they need without suffering financial hardship. But the lack of pooled prepayment systems limits financial access to health services by the citizens. 

Hence, the main objective of the town hall meeting was to engage relevant stakeholders on the gains of health insurance and how to get enrolled.

The meeting had participation drawn from government MDAs including Nasarawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Nasarawa State Health Insurance Agency, State Ministry of Health, State Ministry of Agriculture, State Ministry of Education, State Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning, State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, a host of trade unions including National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Vigilante Group of Nigeria, Nasarawa (VGN), Market Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Small Scale Women Farmers of Nigeria (SWOFON), Medical Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), civil society organisations, religious bodies and the media. 

The State Coordinator of Market Women Association in Nasarawa State, Mrs. Hadiza Sabo Jibrin noted with pleasure that some of them have already started enrolling in health insurance and events like this will only make it better. 

Another notable conversation that was brought to the fore by Mr. Zhebago Emmanuel, a Senior Lecturer with Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic Lafia was the fact that increased uptake of health insurance would bring more pressure on the healthcare facilities hence a need to advocate for the improvement of healthcare facilities if universal healthcare coverage must be achieved in Nigeria.

Many participants also protested the age limit of 18 years for dependants enrolled under health insurance, noting that it does not reflect the current realities in the country as people of that age are more times than not, still dependent on their parents and guardians.

Participants were unanimous that extensive and qualitative geographical coverage of primary healthcare facilitates the implementation of UHC. Also, prepayment schemes facilitate access to services without financial hardship.