Ebonyi Enrolls 166,118 residents in health insurance scheme, targets additional 200,000

…Records 437,027 healthcare encounters, 549,653 services in four years

By Godwin Aliuna, Abakaliki

The Ebonyi State Government has enrolled 166,118 residents in its health insurance scheme, including pregnant women, persons with disabilities, people living with HIV and other vulnerable groups, as part of efforts to expand access to affordable healthcare across the state.

The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency (EBSHIA), Dr Divine Okemefuna Igwe, disclosed this on Tuesday during a press conference at the Women Development Centre, Abakaliki, where he presented the agency’s four-year performance report.

Igwe said the achievement represented a significant increase from the 32,149 beneficiaries recorded in 2022, representing approximately 417 per cent growth in enrollment under the state health insurance programme.

He attributed the development to the commitment of Governor Francis Nwifuru’s administration to healthcare financing reforms, improved access to medical services and the protection of vulnerable residents from the financial burden of illness.

The EBSHIA boss further disclosed that the governor had approved the enrollment of an additional 200,000 residents into the scheme, describing the initiative as a major step towards achieving universal health coverage in the state.

According to him, the approval, which would require an estimated annual investment of N3 billion at an illustrative premium of N15,000 per beneficiary, would significantly expand healthcare access, particularly among rural dwellers and economically disadvantaged households.

He said the agency’s long-term target was to enroll at least two million Ebonyi residents by 2030 under its strategic road-map, tagged EBSHIA Vision 2030: One Ebonyi, One Health Insurance, One Healthy Future.

Igwe explained that the agency had recorded 437,027 healthcare encounters and 549,653 healthcare services between 2023 and 2026, covering maternal healthcare, surgical operations, treatment of communicable diseases and management of chronic illnesses.

He disclosed that the agency had also recorded 114,298 antenatal care services, 33,706 normal deliveries, 2,093 Caesarean sections and 543 assisted deliveries, noting that the interventions had helped improve access to maternal and newborn healthcare.

The report further indicated that 1,450 major surgical procedures were recorded under the scheme, including 855 hernia operations, 337 fibroid surgeries, 243 appendectomies and 15 lump-removal procedures, alongside 12 specialised surgical cases.

On the agency’s healthcare financing programmes, Igwe said the Basic Health Care Provision Fund accounted for 99,758 beneficiaries, while the Ambassadorial Health Insurance Programme covered 27,478 residents. The Global Fund-supported programme for people living with HIV and tuberculosis patients had 11,163 beneficiaries.

Other components include the ONWA Healthcare Formal Sector Programme with 10,085 beneficiaries, State Equity Fund with 9,227, Tertiary Institution Social Health Insurance Programme with 5,347, Informal Sector Programme with 2,500 and Primary Healthcare Challenge Fund with 560 beneficiaries.

He added that the agency had expanded its healthcare provider network to 248 accredited facilities, comprising 183 primary healthcare centres, 62 secondary healthcare facilities and three tertiary institutions, thereby improving access to medical services across different communities.

Despite the progress, the EBSHIA chief executive acknowledged that the current enrollment represented approximately 5.2 per cent of the state’s estimated population of 3.2 million, stressing that more efforts were required to achieve universal health coverage.

He therefore urged political leaders, aspirants, philanthropists, corporate organisations and community stakeholders to support the enrollment of vulnerable residents in their respective communities, describing such interventions as meaningful investments in the health and welfare of the people.

Igwe maintained that the ultimate objective of the scheme was to ensure that no Ebonyi resident was denied essential healthcare because of financial hardship, adding that the agency would continue to strengthen its financing mechanisms, improve service quality and expand coverage towards its 2030 target.