Kano Marks 2025 UHC Day With Historic Health Coverage Expansion as KSCHMA Reports 87.6% Growth
Kola Oyelere, Kano
Kano State on Thursday celebrated the 2025 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day with a landmark announcement: the state’s health insurance enrolment has surged by 87.6% within two years—its highest expansion since inception.
Executive Secretary of the Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KSCHMA), Dr. Rahila Mukhtar, disclosed the development during a press briefing at the agency’s headquarters, describing the achievement as evidence that Kano is “breaking the barrier of unaffordable healthcare costs.”
She said the global UHC Day theme, “Unaffordable Health Costs: We Are Sick of It,” reflects the core of KSCHMA’s mission and the daily struggles of families forced to choose between medical care and financial stability.
Unprecedented Enrolment Milestones
Dr. Mukhtar reported that enrolment in the state health insurance scheme rose sharply from 497,262 residents in 2023 to 933,014 in 2025, marking a transformative leap in access to affordable healthcare.
A breakdown of the growth shows:
State-Funded Vulnerable Group Programme: increased from 4,903 to 50,745 beneficiaries (935% rise), powered by the Kano State Health Trust Fund (KHETFUND).
Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF): grew from 108,664 to 342,515 (215% increase).
Formal Sector Scheme: expanded by 40%, reaching 537,914 workers.
Informal Sector Scheme: rose from 148 to 1,840 enrollees—an unprecedented 1,143% growth.
“These numbers are not mere statistics,” Dr. Mukhtar said. “They represent real people—families that no longer have to choose between treatment and financial ruin.”
The expanded coverage now protects:
145,723 pregnant women
124,802 children under five
46,512 persons living with disabilities
31,003 individuals with chronic diseases
29,473 people living with HIV
3,609 inmates
And thousands with conditions such as obstetric fistula, spinal injuries and hypertension.
Reforms Reshaping Kano’s Healthcare System
Dr. Mukhtar also highlighted a series of reforms strengthening service delivery and accountability across the state. These include:
• Communication & Awareness Drive:
Over 100 radio jingles, 15 documentaries and more than 100 sensitisation campaigns boosted community participation from rural farmers to urban professionals.
• USAID-Supported Marketing Strategy:
A structured roadmap now guides Kano toward achieving 40.7% population coverage by 2030.
• Service Charter:
A new transparency framework outlining patient rights, responsibilities and service timelines.
• Specialized Programmes:
AbbaCare for indigent sickle cell patients
Schools Contributory Healthcare Programme (SCHEP) with over 3,000 students
Zakat & Waqf financing window for vulnerable households
Comprehensive healthcare for inmates
• Technology Upgrades:
A modern self-service enrolment portal, digital PHC service reporting across 614 facilities, training of over 1,000 health workers and a revamped state call centre.
• Quality Assurance:
More than 400 supportive supervision visits, deployment of KSCHMA officers to major hospitals, installation of solar systems in key units and real-time feedback mechanisms.
• House-to-House Verification:
A first-of-its-kind initiative in Nigeria ensuring accurate BHCPF enrolment through physical home visits.
Roadmap for 2026
While celebrating major victories, Dr. Mukhtar stressed that sustaining momentum requires deeper reforms. KSCHMA’s 2026 focus areas include:
Expanding penetration in the informal sector
Tackling drug stock-outs through stronger supply chains
Enhancing provider capacity
Increasing the use of data and technology for better governance
“Government cannot do everything for everyone, but everyone must have a role in everything the government does,” she noted. “