Adamawa partners PharmAccess on health insurance scheme

The Adamawa government has commenced the implementation of a mandatory health insurance scheme in an effort to achieve universal coverage as well as promote quality and affordable health services in the state.

This followed an agreement in Yola, the state capital, by the Ministry of Health and PharmAccess Foundation to lead the technical development process for the statewide insurance scheme.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Fatima Abubakar, who presented the contract document to PharmAccess’ Director of Advocacy & Communications, Dr. Olamide Okulaja, on behalf of the foundation’s Country Director Njide Ndili, said the partnership was a demonstration of the state government’s renewed commitment to invest in the sector in order to “reduce the financial burden on the people of Adamawa as they seek access to quality healthcare and pursue productive and healthy lives.”

The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Garba Ahmed, said: “Everybody knows how expensive it is for people to access health; so we have to think outside the box and see the extent to which we can support the people, especially the less-privileged in our society so that they can be able to access quality healthcare.”

Ndili said PharmAccess was glad to partner the state in achieving the universal health coverage, while promising to deploy “best practices from our experiences and lessons learnt in supporting other states to leap-frog the process.

“It is remarkable that the state government is taking ownership and eager to provide health coverage to citizens.She added that her foundation’s technical support would help the state government in implementing an insurance scheme pivoted on “technology that will deliver quality healthcare services to not only people who can afford healthcare in Adamawa, but also to the poorest of the society because health is wealth.”