Kaduna State has taken another decisive step towards achieving universal health coverage with the official launch of Identity Card distribution to 15,000 vulnerable persons under the Kaduna State Health Insurance Scheme.
The flag-off ceremony, held Friday at Hotel Seventeen, brought together development partners including UNICEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), alongside state commissioners, senior government officials, and traditional rulers led by the Emir of Zazzau and Chairman of the Kaduna State Council of Chiefs, Ambassador Ahmad Nuhu Bamalli. Beneficiaries drawn from across the state were also in attendance.
Representing Governor Uba Sani, Deputy Governor Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe described the event as “a day of purpose, promise, and progress,” reaffirming the administration’s commitment to ensuring no resident is denied access to quality healthcare due to financial hardship.
“This is not just about distributing cards,” she said. “It is about delivering care, compassion, and commitment, offering health for all, hope for all, and help for all.”
Dr. Balarabe highlighted the state government’s investments in revitalizing and upgrading 255 primary health centres and general hospitals, equipping them with modern medical facilities, deploying qualified personnel, and powering them with solar energy.
These measures, she noted, have strengthened maternal care, reduced child mortality, and protected families from the crushing burden of out-of-pocket medical expenses.
She commended development partners for their support, particularly CHAI, which has directly enrolled more than 20,000 vulnerable persons—mostly women—into the scheme. Traditional leaders were also praised for mobilizing communities in support of health initiatives.
“With over 70% of healthcare spending in Nigeria still paid out-of-pocket, health insurance is the bridge from vulnerability to security, from exclusion to inclusion,” she said. “Every card issued today is a door opened, every enrollment is a chain of poverty broken, and every life saved is a victory for Kaduna State.”
The initiative marks a significant milestone in Kaduna’s quest for health equity and inclusive development, reflecting the government’s vision of making quality healthcare a right for all, not a privilege for a few.
