By: Mukhtar Yahaya Shehu
Kano state Contributory Healthcare management agency KSCHMA has reiterated its commitment in providing qualitative healthcare services to the people of the state.
The executive secretary of the Agency Dr. Rahila Aliyu Muktar announced this at a press briefing in commemoration of 2025 Universal Health Coverage in the state.
She said this year’s theme, “Unaffordable Health Costs: We Are Sick of It!”, resonates deeply with agency mission in Kano State, adding that it is a stark reminder of the financial hardship that illness can impose, and a call to action for which the Kano Statement Contributory Healthcare Scheme is the definitive response.
“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 Alh. Abba Kabir Yusuf and the direct guidance of the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran.” She said
According to executive secretary, the Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KSCHMA) was established via KSCHMA Law No.3 of 2016. The scheme is a system of advanced healthcare financing through contributions, donations and taxes being paid into a common pool to pay for healthcare needs as specified by the benefit package.
Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar further said the key objectives of the scheme include ensuring access to affordable, high-quality healthcare for all residents and protecting families from financial burdens due to medical costs. It also emphasizes promoting equity, controlling healthcare inflation, maintaining service standards, and enhancing efficiency in healthcare delivery.
She added that since her assumption of office in June 2023 alot of success has been Achieved.
“Our mandate has been clear: to aggressively expand access to quality healthcare and provide financial protection for the people of Kano. Guided by the State Government’s commitment to social welfare, we have embarked on a transformative journey to make healthcare a right, not a privilege. Universal Health Coverage (UHC) has been identified as the umbrella goal for health in the global development priorities,” Dr. Rahila added.
The executive secretary pointed out that the reasons for focusing on such a goal are compelling: for much of the world’s population, access to health care is severely limited and often financially out of reach. The core of Universal Health Coverage is inclusion.
“I am proud to present our 2025 enrolment figures, which demonstrate a historic leap forward for Kano State:Total Enrolment: We have grown from 497, 262 lives in 2023 to 933,014 lives in 2025. This represents an overall increase of 87.6% in two years, bringing us closer to our ultimate goal of covering every resident.Vulnerable Group Program,” She added.
Dr. Rahila Aliyu Muktar maintained that In line with the government’s commitment to social protection, and made possible by crucial funding support from the Kano State Health Trust Fund (KHETFUND), enrolment from the state-funded vulnerable program skyrocketed by 935%, from 4,903 to 50,745 individuals.
“This ensures our poorest and most at-risk citizens including pregnant women, children under five, people living with disabilities, and those with chronic conditions like sickle cell and HIV—can access care with dignity.Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF): Enrolment through this critical gateway grew by 215%, from 108,664 to 342,515, strengthening our primary healthcare base.Formal Sector.”
“We maintained strong engagement with the organized workforce, growing enrolment by 40% to 537,914 individuals.Informal Sector: We have begun a crucial push to bring the informal sector under the safety net, recording growth of over 1143%, from 148 to 1,840 enrollees a foundation we will build upon aggressively.This coverage provides a lifeline to our most at-risk citizens, including:145,723 Pregnant Women124,802 Children Under Five46,512 People Living with Disabilities 31,003 People Living with Chronic Medical Conditions29,473 People Living with HIV3,609 Inmates in Correctional Centres 8,053 others, including persons managing conditions like fistula, hypertension, and spinal cord injuries.”
“We have deepened collaboration with critical implementation partners including State Primary Healthcare Management Board, Hospitals Management Board, Private Institutions Management Agency, Kano State Health Trust Fund, Drugs and Medical Consumable Supply Agency (DMCSA), Kano State Agency for the Control of AIDS, Kano Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as our Development Partners.” The executive secretary said
Dr Rahila Muktar emphasized that, the KSCHMA is targeting 39,000 sickle cell patients’ indigents, with some already accessing care at specialist hospitals under Abba Care program which focus on sickle cell patients across the state.
She added that, KSCHMA introduced Zakat and Waqf Program designed to accommodate Islamic teachings of ethical financing for vulnerable groups, supported by philanthropists and community members. While for the Custodial Center Healthcare, KSCHMA she added that, the expansion of the state’s vulnerable program includes comprehensive healthcare coverage for inmates enrolled in the scheme.
“We upgraded the KSCHMA call centre to a state-of-the-art status with trained and professional customer care staff for faster, more efficient responses to enrolees’ needs”
“PHCs Digitised Service Utilisation: The digitized service utilization system for primary healthcare services under KSCHMA represents a transformative step in improving efficiency, transparency, and accountability in service delivery. By enabling real-time documentation and monitoring of beneficiary encounters, it helps to ensure that enrolees receive the care they are entitled to while providing the agency with accurate data for decision-making, claims management, and performance evaluation,” ES said.
Dr. Rahila Aliyu Muktar also said the Agency has trained more than 1,000 healthcare providers across 614 empanelled 11. We piloted a phone survey to collect feedback from vulnerable population beneficiaries, particularly in local government areas (LGAs) identified under the Maternal and Neonatal Reduction Innovation and Initiatives (MAMII) project as having a high burden of maternal mortality.
The 2025 Universal Health Coverage Day in Kano highlights with the series of activities that includes:
State government unveils so far, Distribution of items to the vulnerable warn and Launching of Informal Sector enrollment.
