Free Health Insurance for Families in Need

The ACIOE Foundation has announced free health coverage for families who need it most. Mrs Adenike Badiora, the Advocacy Lead of the Maternal Health and Communications Project at the foundation, shared this news during a presentation in Kaduna. The presentation was about a report called “Accelerating Maternal Health Outcomes in Kaduna State: The Case for Private Sector Financing and Institutionalised Stakeholder Engagement.”

Badiora highlighted that Kaduna has made some progress since the Health Access 2025 Roundtable Dialogue. She mentioned a partnership between the Kaduna State government and the Gates Foundation. This partnership plans to bring in N1.2 billion to support the health insurance scheme. There is also a new health committee set up by the Emir of Zazzau that will cover 11 local government areas. Additionally, pilot initiatives for micro-payment are happening with Polaris Bank and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

“Yet 90 per cent of Kaduna’s population remains uninsured. Private facilities, the de facto first point of contact for the majority of women, remain locked out of financing mechanisms, insurance frameworks and digital systems,” she said.

She stressed that this issue is “not just a policy failure; but a direct contributor to preventable maternal deaths.” Badiora pointed out that Kaduna State still has major problems with maternal health. The Maternal Mortality Ratio is 452.6 deaths for every 100,000 live births. The neonatal mortality rate is 63 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Badiora urged all stakeholders to act quickly on the 17 recommendations in the advocacy brief. This includes government bodies, financial institutions, development partners, traditional institutions, and the private sector.

Abubakar Hassan, the Director-General of the Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Authority (KADCHMA), responded to the report. He recognized the low awareness and use of health insurance found in the study. He said this situation presents a chance for better engagement.