Health insurance and universal health coverage are critical components of any functioning healthcare system, and Ekiti State in Nigeria is no exception. In recent years, the state government has made significant efforts to improve healthcare access and affordability for its citizens through the implementation of health insurance schemes and universal health coverage programs.
Health insurance is a type of insurance coverage that pays for the cost of medical and surgical expenses incurred by the insured. In Ekiti State, the government has established the Ekiti State Health Insurance Scheme (EKHIS), which provides affordable healthcare services to residents of the state. Under this scheme, individuals can pay a monthly premium and receive a range of healthcare services, including hospitalization, maternity care, and basic medical care.
EKHIS has been successful in increasing access to healthcare services for residents of the state, especially those in rural and underserved areas. The scheme has also helped to reduce out-of-pocket expenses for individuals and families, which can be a significant burden, particularly for those with limited financial resources.
In this regard, the New Initiative for Social Development (NISD) and Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) are collaborating to help achieve the right to health for citizens of Ekiti State. The project is being carried out as part of the USAID-SCALE (Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement) programme, which aims to influence policies and reforms across the most critical service sectors.
The Ekiti State Health Insurance Scheme (EKHIS) was launched in 2019 as part of the state government’s efforts to improve access to healthcare for its citizens. In addition to the EKHIS, the state government has also implemented a universal health coverage program. Universal health coverage aims to ensure that all individuals and communities have access to the healthcare services they need without suffering financial hardship. It involves providing a package of essential health services to all citizens, regardless of their ability to pay. In Ekiti State, the universal health coverage program is implemented through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF). The BHCPF is a national programme that aims to provide essential health services to all Nigerians, especially the most vulnerable and underserved populations.
The implementation of health insurance and universal health coverage programmes in Ekiti State has had a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of its citizens. Access to healthcare services has increased, and financial barriers to healthcare have been reduced. This has led to improved health outcomes, particularly for vulnerable populations, such as women and children.
However, despite the good intentions behind EKHIS, the scheme has faced several challenges in its implementation. One of the main challenges has been a lack of awareness and understanding of the scheme among the target population. This has led to low enrollment rates and a limited uptake of the benefits of the scheme. There is also a need to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and improve the quality of services provided to ensure that individuals receive high-quality care.
This is where NISD and CSJ come in. As part of the USAID-SCALE program, the two organizations are working to raise awareness of EKHIS and promote its benefits to the people of Ekiti State. They are using a variety of strategies, including workshops, town hall meetings, radio and television advertisements, and social media campaigns.
Last year, the project organised the #Right2Health Workshop. This workshop took the project cluster members through all the ramifications of the right to health, in its context as an empowering and facilitating right, its links to other rights, strategies for realization and enforcement including advocacy, monitoring and reporting.
Also, the project has consistently engaged with the Pre-Health Budget Process. This involved agenda setting in the preparation of a pre-health budget memorandum. The pre-heath budget intervention reviewed existing laws and policies and their adequacy; existing budgetary commitments and their performance and relevance in terms of economy, efficiency and effectiveness – value for money so as to identify what is working and what is not delivering as planned. Later, it published a Budget Review and convened a Civil Society Summit on the Health Budget. The programme analysed the executive health budget presented to the legislature at the federal level from a number of prisms. The first was to check for policy consistency in the policy, plan and budget continuum.
One of the key goals of the project is to ensure that all citizens of Ekiti State understand their right to health and the importance of accessing healthcare services when needed. By increasing awareness of EKHIS and promoting its benefits, NISD and CSJ hope to encourage more people to enroll in the scheme and access the healthcare services they need.
The project is also working to address some of the logistical challenges faced by EKHIS, such as the limited number of healthcare facilities that are currently accredited under the scheme. NISD and CSJ are working with the state government to identify additional healthcare facilities that can be accredited under EKHIS, thereby increasing the options available to enrollees.
Overall, the collaboration between NISD, CSJ, and the Ekiti State government is an important step towards improving access to healthcare for citizens of the state. By promoting the benefits of EKHIS and addressing some of the logistical challenges faced by the scheme, the project is helping to ensure that more people can exercise their #Right2Health and access the healthcare services they need.
Okeke writes from the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) Nigeria