Health Insurance: Niger enrolls 100,400 beneficiaries, partners UNICEF on immunization

Health Insurance: Niger enrolls 100,400 beneficiaries, partners UNICEF on immunization
By Aideloje Ojo, Minna
Niger State Contributory Health Insurance Agency (NiCare) has partnered with the United International Children Emergency Fund ( UNICEF) towards enhancing immunization coverage in the state.
The Executive Secretary of NiCare, Sulayman Abu-Bakr stated this at the weekend in Minna during a project review meeting on the implementation of the UNICEF supported health insurance project.
The executive secretary revealed that the agency has enrolled 100,400 beneficiaries for its health insurance scheme across the state so far.
He said, “As an agency, our priority is to improve health outcomes across the state. NiCare is encouraging facilities to conduct outreach programmes to expand access by our people.
“Let me also emphasize that this health insurance would serve as a tool to improve immunization coverage. I therefore urge all partners to align with efforts towards achieving this goal”.
According to him, “Niger State Contributory Health Agency(NiCARE) has enrolled 100, 400 citizens and residents of the state into the health insurance scheme”
He explained that the review was aimed at addressing key areas, including enrollment of beneficiaries, utilization of health services by enrollees, data collection and reporting, availability and quality of healthcare services.
He lauded the state Governor Muhammad Umaru Bago for the support to the agency and timely release of counterpart fund, adding that, ” I also want to express my sincere appreciation to our development partners for their humanitarian gesture to the agency which has enhanced its activities”.
The executive secretary explained that the agency has over 315 facilities across all the wards of the state including 21 secondary services,
In a remark, the representative of UNICEF, Adamu Mamba gave a vivid presentation on Zero Dose immunisation initiative, adding that, “UNICEF will leverage NiCare’s intervention to enhance immunization coverage across the state”.
He assured that his organisation would ensure the success of the the partnership especially in the area of reaching out to the children who mixed the first immunization doses at birth and making them to benefit from the health insurance project.