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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Health & Science

Kano expands health insurance to inmates, HIV, hypertensive patients

From The Punch · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Kano State has expanded its healthcare insurance scheme to cover vulnerable groups, including inmates and patients with hypertension and HIV.
  • The state agency has enrolled over 6,000 hypertensive patients and a similar number of individuals living with HIV, providing access to necessary medications and treatments.
  • The initiative, which also includes enrolling all inmates in correctional centers, has drawn commendation and interest from other states seeking to replicate the model.

Kano State is broadening access to healthcare through its Contributory Healthcare Management Agency, now extending coverage to vulnerable populations including inmates and individuals with chronic conditions like hypertension and HIV. The agency's Executive Secretary, Dr. Rahila Aliyu-Mukhtar, announced the expansion, highlighting significant enrollment numbers.

More than 6,000 vulnerable patients with hypertension have been enrolled in the scheme. This initiative aims to ensure they can afford essential medications and diagnostic tests, which has reportedly contributed to a reduction in hypertension-related complications within the state. Dr. Aliyu-Mukhtar noted a national report acknowledging Kano's success in mitigating these complications, attributing it directly to the insurance scheme's reach.

We received a nationally generated report indicating that Kano State has reduced complications arising from hypertension.

· Dr. Rahila Aliyu-MukhtarHighlighting the positive impact of the healthcare insurance scheme on hypertension patients.

Similarly, over 6,000 individuals living with HIV have joined the program. While antiretroviral drugs are often supplied through donor funding, the insurance scheme provides crucial support for other health issues these beneficiaries may face, such as malaria, typhoid, and diabetes. The agency also plans to enroll 6,000 tuberculosis patients, recognizing their need for support beyond TB-specific treatments due to potential secondary health conditions.

A pioneering aspect of the initiative is the enrollment of all inmates in correctional centers across Kano State. This marks the first program of its kind in Nigeria and has earned the Kano State Government praise from the Controller-General of Corrections. Other states have reportedly reached out to Kano to study its successful implementation model, underscoring the program's innovative approach to universal healthcare access for marginalized groups.

We realised that TB patients also need support beyond their TB medications because secondary health conditions may arise.

· Dr. Rahila Aliyu-MukhtarExplaining the rationale for including tuberculosis patients in the scheme.
About this summary

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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