In a bid to promote universal health coverage in the state, the Zamfara state government would “soon present a bill for the establishment of the Health Contributory (Insurance) Agency as part of its strategies to promote eff ective implementation of National Health Act in the state. Th e Commissioner for Health, Hon. Suleman Adamu Gummi, stated this at a twoday stakeholders’ meeting on the validation of a bill for the establishment of the State Health Contributory Agency, organised by the Ministry of Justice, with support from Save the Children International.
According to him, Zamfara is among few states that are committed to the full operationalisation of the National Health Act at the state level. He said the state had already created a specifi c counterpart funds budget line with allocation of N45 million to enable its access the approved one per cent of the federal government consolidated revenue meant for the implementation of National Health Act. Gumni said the state government had presented a bill titled “Zamfara Health Bill 2016” before the House of Assembly that would serve as framework for the eff ective implementation of the Act, adding that out of the funds to be given by both the state and federal governments, “50% of the funds would be used for health insurance while the remaining funds would be used to strengthen the health sector.” “Under the bill there is a provision for a Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHPF) to provide inhabitants of the state with access to basic health care services. 50 per cent of this fund is to be allocated to the Health Insurance Scheme with a view to providing health coverage for pregnant women, children under the age of fi ve, the elderly, and persons who are physically challenged.” In his remarks, leader of the House of Assembly, Hon. Isah Abdulmumin, registered the Assembly’s commitment to the smooth passage of the bill “as soon as it reaches” the Assembly.
