The Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Authority (KADCHMA) and the state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on health insurance for its pensioners.

Speaking at the signing of the MoU on Monday in Kaduna, the Director-General (DG) of KADCHMA, Abubakar Hassan, said the benefits of the scheme for the pensioners were immense.

He explained that with the health insurance, pensioners would have access to health care services from any public or private health facility across the state without having to spend from their pockets.

With this, Hassan said, pensioners could receive the care they needed without worrying about the financial burden that often comes with accessing healthcare
services.

He disclosed that the annual premium for the health insurance scheme was N10,600, thereby making it affordable for the pensioners.

“This will facilitate access to quality healthcare to our pensioners, in line with the promises of governor Uba Sani’s administration to provide access to quality care through a state contributory health insurance scheme.

“As the State Health Insurance Manager, our objectives are clear. We aim to enroll more residents into the scheme to make healthcare more affordable and secure a
sustainable funding basis for our health facilities.

“We also seek to extend health insurance cover to poor and vulnerable citizens through the basic health care
provision fund, as well as enroll persons employed in the informal sector into the contributory health insurance scheme.

“Our ultimate goal is to build consensus
across the state for adopting contributory health insurance as the most affordable way to access healthcare in public facilities,”Hassan said.

He thanked the State’s Pension Bureau and the state chapter of NUP for embracing the scheme.

He urged other organisations, associations and bodies to follow suit and enroll their members in the social insurance scheme.

Also, the Chairman of NUP, Kaduna Chapter, Mr Aboman Ladan, said the MoU signing marked a significant milestone in their efforts towards ensuring that their members have access to quality healthcare without financial burdens.

“We believe that our pensioners deserve the best, and this scheme will go a long way in improving their overall well-being,”he said.

Ladan commended KADCHMA for their commitment to making healthcare affordable and accessible to all, while urging their members to take advantage of the scheme and enroll in the health insurance program.

Doing so, he said, the pensioners would live healthy and fulfilling lives, free from the worry of medical expenses.

Also, the National representative of the NUP, Ahmed Garzali, described pensioners as the most vulnerable, who were affected most by fuel subsidy removal.

He said the health insurance for their members in the state is a step toward addressing their out-of-pocket spending on health, while calling for sincerity of purpose and full implementation of the MoU.

Earlier, the state’s Commissioner for Health, Hajiya Umma Ahmed, said the collaboration between KADCHMA and the NUP marked a monumental step in the state government’s collective efforts towards ensuring the health and well-being of its pensioners.

Ahmed added that Sani’s leadership was instrumental in advancing healthcare initiatives that prioritise the well-being of every citizen, particularly senior citizens who have served the state with distinction.

She also said that Kaduna State Government recognised that the health of every citizen was a priority, which extended especially to its pensioners who have dedicated their lives to serving the state and nation.

By enrolling pensioners into the State Contributory Health Scheme, the commissioner said, they were taking proactive steps to safeguard the pensioners health and enhance their quality of life in retirement.

According to her, the contributory health scheme plays a critical role in reducing the financial burden of medical expenses, particularly for those in their later years who are often more vulnerable to health challenges.

“The Kaduna State Health Insurance Scheme is designed to provide comprehensive and affordable healthcare coverage, ensuring that no one, regardless of age or economic status, is left behind.

“The partnership between KADCHMA and the NUP is a strategic initiative that aligns with our vision of universal health coverage for all residents of Kaduna State.

“This MoU is more than just a document; it is a covenant that reaffirms our shared commitment to upholding the dignity and well-being of our pensioners.

”It symbolises our dedication to creating a health system that is inclusive, equitable, and responsive to the needs of every citizen,” she said.

She assured the pensioners that the government would implement the agreement effectively, while ensuring that the enrollment process is seamless, transparent, and accessible to all eligible pensioners.

“By doing so, we will not only fulfill our promise of providing quality healthcare but also demonstrate our commitment to the values of empathy, respect, and service,”Ahmed said.(NAN)

The Director-General of WHO, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, says more than 18,000 suspected cases of Mpox have been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC) this year, with 629 deaths.Ghebreyesus disclosed this on Friday during an online news conference.He said that the cases included more than 5000 cases and 31 deaths from the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu, where the new clade 1b strain had been spreading.

“The number of reported cases of clade 1b has been rising rapidly for several weeks. “Fortunately, relatively few deaths have been reported in recent weeks.’’According to him, in addition, 258 cases of clade 1b have been confirmed in Burundi, four in Rwanda, four in Uganda, one in Kenya and one each in Sweden and Thailand.“We also remain concerned about outbreaks of clade 1a in other parts of DRC.“This morning, I returned from DRC, where yesterday I had the honour to meet with His Excellency President Félix Tshisekedi to discuss the outbreaks.“I thanked the president for his leadership in the response to the outbreaks, demonstrated by the government’s commitment of 10 dollars to the response.I assured him of WHO’s full support, together with the Africa CDC and other partners.’’Ghebreyesus said he also had the opportunity to meet with the UN Country Team, where they discussed coordination of the Mpox response among UN agencies, under the government’s leadership.He that they discussed the critical importance of clear communication with people at risk of Mpox and strong engagement with communities and local partners.“I also met with global and local health partners to discuss scaling up routine immunisation for other diseases, including polio, measles and malaria, and mobilising frontline polio workers to support the Mpox response.“WHO is working to accelerate access to and delivery of vaccines.“The manufacturers of the two vaccines submitted their applications for emergency use listing last Friday and we are working to review those applications as fast as possible.“The safety and efficacy of vaccines are our highest priority. We will not take short cuts.’’According to him, the two main buyers of vaccines for low-income countries, Gavi and UNICEF, require WHO emergency use listing to buy vaccines for use in countries that have not issued their own national regulatory approval.“Last week, I gave Gavi and UNICEF the green light to proceed with procuring vaccines, in parallel with the EUL process.“However, WHO emergency use listing is not a barrier to vaccines being deployed in DRC.’’The director-general said that DRC’s medicines regulator approved both vaccines in June and the government had requested bilateral donations of vaccines from high-income countries with large stockpiles.He said that together with the Africa CDC, WHO had also helped to secure donations from the European Union and some of its Member States.“WHO is working with the Africa CDC, GAVI, UNICEF, CEPI and HERA to set up a coordination mechanism to allocate the donated vaccines and increase access in affected countries.“On Thursday, we also invited manufacturers of Mpox diagnostics to submit an expression of interest for emergency use listing.’’The WHO boss said that on Friday, the first expression of interest was received.“Over the past two days, we have also convened a meeting of researchers to identify research priorities and to foster a coordinated and collaborative approach to the development of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.“It is vital to stress that although vaccines are a powerful tool, they are far from the only tool.“There are many things that WHO and our partners are doing to prevent and diagnose infections and treat the sick.’’According to him, the outbreak of clade 1b Mpox is occurring in one of the poorest and most insecure regions of DRC, complicating the response.“Despite these challenges, hundreds of WHO personnel are on the ground in DRC and the other affected countries, working with our partners to stop transmission and bring these outbreaks under control.“With the government’s leadership and close cooperation between partners, we believe we can stop these outbreaks in the next six months.“But what this region of DRC needs more than anything else is a political solution to the long-running insecurity,” Ghebreyesus said.(NAN)

The World Health Organisation (WHO) hon Monday unveiled a global Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan ( SPRP)to tackle human-to-human transmission of mpox.

This is contained in a statement issued by the world health body.

The plan which will run from September 2024 to February 2025, requiring 135 million U.

S. dollars in funding.

It also includes coordinating global, regional, and national efforts, it aims to enhance surveillance and response strategies, ensure equitable access to diagnostics and vaccines, reduce animal-to-human transmission, and empower communities in outbreak control.

The organisation made this known on Monday in a statement.

The WHO said the unveiling follows the declaration of a public health emergency of international concern by Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO, Director-General on Aug.

14.

According to it, a funding appeal for what WHO needs to deliver on the plan will be launched shortly.

The WHO said  that the plan, which builds on the temporary recommendations and standing recommendations issued by the Ghebreyesus focuses on implementing comprehensive surveillance, prevention, readiness.

Others are response strategies; advancing research and equitable access to medical countermeasures like diagnostic tests and vaccines; minimizing animal-to-human transmission; and empowering communities to actively participate in outbreak prevention and control.

According to the WHO, strategic vaccination efforts will focus on individuals at the highest risk, including close contacts of recent cases and healthcare workers, to interrupt transmission chains.

“At the global-level, the emphasis is on strategic leadership, timely evidence-based guidance, and access to medical countermeasures for the most at-risk groups in affected countries.

“WHO is working with a broad range of international, regional, national and local partners and networks to enhance coordination across key areas of preparedness, readiness and response.

” This includes engagement with the ACT-Accelerator Principals group; the Standing Committee on Health Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response; the R and D Blueprint for Epidemics; and the interim Medical Counter Measures Network (i-MCM Net),” it stated.

It said that WHO R and D Blueprint, along with Africa CDC, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, would host a virtual scientific conference on August 29 to 30 to align mpox research with outbreak control goals.

Ghebreyesus said that the mpox outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighbouring countries can be controlled and stopped.

He said that doing so required a comprehensive and coordinated plan of action between international agencies, national and local partners, civil society, researchers and manufacturers, and our Member States.

“This SPRP provides that plan, based on the principles of equity, global solidarity, community empowerment, human rights, and coordination across sectors.,” WHO boss said.

According to him, WHO headquarters and regional offices have established incident management support teams to lead preparedness, readiness and response activities, and are significantly scaling up staff in affected countries.

He said that within the Africa Region, where need was greatest, the WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) in collaboration with Africa CDC, would jointly spearhead the coordination of mpox response efforts.

“WHO AFRO and Africa CDC have agreed on a one-plan, one-budget approach as part of the Africa Continental Mpox Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan, currently under preparation.

“At the national and sub-national level, health authorities will adapt strategies in response to current epidemiological trends,” he said.(NAN)