By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
As a pathway to achieving UN resolution on Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC) by the year 2030, a USAID funded activity being implemented by Center for Social Justice (CSJ) in partnership with Journalists for Public Health and Development Initiative (J4PD)) have presented a proposed policy document on National Health Insurance Act (NHIA) for validation to stakeholders in Bauchi State.
Programme Manager of Center for Social Justice (CSJ), Fidelis Onyejegbu, while presenting the document at Hazibal Hotel Conference Bauchi recently, said that health insurance scheme needs to be strengthened, structured and available especially for the vulnerable people, poorest of the poor, pregnant women and children of under 5 years across the country.
According to him, the SDGs 3 which provides for health and well-being of people can only be achieved through effective healthcare service delivery through functional health insurance scheme.
The validation meeting is targeted at Improving The Realization of the Right To Health In Nigeria activity that is being implemented by CSJ and funded by USAID under the Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE) project in some selected states of Nigeria.
The Goal of the project according to him is to contribute to improvements in the realization of the right to health in Nigeria through enhancing respect for extant laws and policies, reforming laws and policies as well as mainstreaming transparency and accountability in public health sector expenditure.
He further pointed out that other objectives of the SCALE Project are focused in building the capacity of cluster members and critical civil society stakeholders to effectively intervene for the improvement of the right to health; improve legal and governance frameworks of the health sector through legislative and implementation advocacy; Enhance stakeholder participation to improve transparency and accountability in health budgeting; and Increase awareness and sensitization of rights and duties on the right to health.
Fidelis Onyejegbu then expressed his hope that Bauchi State health contributory scheme will be made more functional and effective to improve healthcare delivery services to all manner of people in the state in accordance with the NHIA Act.
Earlier in her opening remarks, Coordinator of Journalists for Public Health and Development Initiative (J4PD), Ms Elizabeth Nange Kah stressed the importance of using health insurance to reach people with quality healthcare service delivery.
Elizabeth Kah therefore stressed the importance of the validation meeting saying that it will further strengthen the Bauchi State health contributory scheme in line with the objectives of establishing it by the State Government.
Kah further said that J4PD is ready to partner with the stakeholders in Bauchi State and beyond towards improved health care outcomes and other related developmental initiatives in line with global best practices.
“Our doors are open for positive collaboration with all stakeholders that seek to add value on health care outcomes and other developmental enterprises in Bauchi State and beyond”, said J4PD Coordinator.
Our correspondent reports that the validation meeting attracted participants that includes the CEO of the Bauchi State Health Contributory Management Agency, Dr. Mansur Mustapha Dada, other management staff of the Agency, CSOs and the Media.