The Plateau State Government is exploring sustainable health financing options and plans to expand health insurance enrolment as part of efforts to reduce the financial burden of accessing medical services on families.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Baamlong, disclosed this during a press briefing at Crispan Hotel Hall in Jos ahead of the 12th Plateau State Council on Health.
Baamlong said the council would examine strategies for improving healthcare financing, expanding access to essential services and ensuring that residents, particularly those in underserved communities, could obtain quality healthcare.
He noted that sustainable funding and increased health insurance enrolment were important to reducing the financial burden on families and improving access to healthcare services across the state.
The council, themed “From Policy to People: Consolidating Quality Universal Health Coverage and Health Security on the Plateau,” is expected to bring together stakeholders to assess progress in the health sector and develop practical measures for improving service delivery.
The proposed expansion comes as the Plateau State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (PLASCHEMA) pursues wider coverage under the state’s health insurance programmes.
At a media parley in Jos on October 2, the agency’s Director-General, Dr. Solomon Kwande Dawal, was reported to have said enrolment had increased to 324,629 beneficiaries from about 93,000 at the inception of the current administration.
Dawal also disclosed plans for a pilot community-based health insurance programme in 40 wards, which the agency expected could add more than 400,000 beneficiaries to the scheme.
According to the report, the proposed initiative was intended to reach residents in rural and hard-to-reach communities who had previously had limited exposure to health insurance services.
The health council is also expected to deliberate on strengthening primary healthcare facilities, improving the distribution of skilled health workers and using digital health technologies to enhance data management and accountability.
Baamlong further identified disease surveillance, outbreak preparedness and collaboration between human, animal and environmental health sectors as priorities for strengthening the state’s health system.
He said community participation, particularly through traditional rulers, civil society organisations and community groups, would be important in ensuring that healthcare interventions reflected residents’ needs.
The 12th Plateau State Council on Health is scheduled to commence with an opening ceremony on Tuesday, October 20, while technical sessions will hold from October 21 to 22.
The deliberations are expected to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to develop practical measures for improving healthcare financing, expanding coverage and strengthening health service delivery across the state.
