The Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency announced a significant expansion in health insurance coverage, reporting that enrolment grew from 497,262 lives in 2023 to 933,014 in 2025, an increase of 87.6 per cent within two years.
Dr. Rahila Muktar, the Executive Secretary of KSCHMA, shared this achievement during a press briefing held on Friday in Kano to commemorate the 2025 Universal Health Coverage Day. She stated that the progress demonstrates the state government’s unwavering commitment to delivering affordable and high-quality healthcare services to its residents through the Kano State Contributory Health Scheme.
Muktar noted that the 2025 UHC theme, ‘Unaffordable Health Costs: We Are Sick of It!’, strongly aligns with the agency’s primary mandate of protecting families from financially devastating health expenditures. She expressed her pride in the results, saying, “I stand before you not just to commemorate this day, but to present a robust account of progress, hope and tangible results achieved under the visionary leadership of Governor Abba Yusuf and the guidance of the Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran.”
She explained that KSCHMA was established by Law No. 3 of 2016 with the purpose of creating a sustainable mechanism for financing healthcare. This mechanism relies on pooled contributions, donations, and taxes to meet the healthcare needs of the residents, as outlined by the scheme’s benefit package.
The Executive Secretary clarified that the scheme’s core objectives are ensuring access to affordable, high-quality healthcare, promoting equity, controlling healthcare inflation, maintaining service standards, and generally improving efficiency in the delivery of healthcare services. She highlighted that since assuming office in June 2023, the agency has prioritized aggressive enrolment expansion and financial protection for the residents, in line with the state’s broader social welfare agenda.
Dr. Muktar reaffirmed the agency’s mission, asserting, “Our mandate has been clear: to expand access to quality healthcare and make healthcare a right, not a privilege. Universal Health Coverage remains the umbrella goal for global health development, and inclusion is at its core.”
Breaking down the growth figures, Muktar revealed that the state-funded Vulnerable Group Programme experienced a dramatic 935 per cent increase, rising from 4,903 to 50,745 beneficiaries, with additional support provided by the Kano State Health Trust Fund. She emphasized the impact of this expansion, stating, “This ensures that pregnant women, children under five, persons living with disabilities and those with chronic conditions such as sickle cell disease and HIV can access care with dignity.”
Furthermore, she reported a significant growth in enrolment under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, which increased by 215 per cent, moving from 108,664 to 342,515, a development that significantly strengthens access to primary healthcare services. Within the formal sector, the agency recorded a 40 per cent increase, bringing the total enrolment to 537,914 individuals, while the informal sector saw phenomenal growth of over 1,143 per cent, rising from 148 to 1,840 enrollees.
Muktar provided a detailed breakdown of the expanded coverage, noting it currently supports 145,723 pregnant women, 124,802 children under five, 46,512 persons living with disabilities, 31,003 persons with chronic medical conditions, 29,473 people living with HIV, 3,609 inmates in correctional centres, and 8,053 others with conditions such as fistula, hypertension, and spinal cord injuries.
She added that KSCHMA has actively strengthened collaboration with essential stakeholders, including the State Primary Healthcare Management Board, Hospitals Management Board, Private Institutions Management Agency, DMCSA, Kano State Agency for the Control of AIDS, Kano Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as various development partners.
The executive secretary also mentioned that KSCHMA is specifically targeting 39,000 indigent sickle cell patients, some of whom are already receiving specialized care under the state’s Abba Care Programme. She highlighted the introduction of a new Zakat and Waqf Programme aimed at providing financial support to vulnerable groups, aligning with Islamic ethical financing principles, along with expanded healthcare coverage for inmates under the state’s vulnerable programme.
Muktar detailed internal improvements, noting that the agency has upgraded its call centre to improve response time for enrollee complaints and has digitized service utilization at primary healthcare centres to bolster transparency, accountability, and data-driven decision-making.
Finally, she confirmed that more than 1,000 healthcare providers across 614 empanelled facilities have received specialized training. Additionally, a phone-based feedback survey was piloted among vulnerable beneficiaries in select local government areas as part of the Maternal and Neonatal Reduction Innovation and Initiatives project.
Muktar concluded by stating that the activities planned to mark the 2025 UHC Day in Kano include distributing items to vulnerable groups and launching informal sector enrolment across the entire state.
