Gov Ahmed: Reducing Poverty Through Affordable Healthcare

Gov Ahmed:  Reducing Poverty Through Affordable Healthcare

Poor health has been identified as one of the major causes and outcomes of poverty.

In Kwara State, provision of quality, accessible, and affordable healthcare within 500 meters radius has been one of the major thrusts of the Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed-led administration from inception.

From extending the Community Health Insurance Scheme (CHIS) under which enrollees received all-year round healthcare for a N500 premium to 11 local government areas of the state to the launch of a State-wide Health Insurance Scheme (KHIS) and enhancing health infrastructure, Governor Ahmed is improving the poverty status of households by expanding access to affordable healthcare.  

As we are aware, poor health not only increases spending on health care services, it also reduces individual productivity. To that extent, health is indeed wealth.

Indeed, KHIS is a major milestone in the present government's journey towards the achievement of Universal Health Coverage as it will lower health care costs, create a healthier workforce and prevent future social cost through early childhood care. Certainly, the recent inauguration of the Kwara State Health Insurance Agency’s board, led by the Emir of Shonga, HRH Alhaji Haliru Yahaya, himself a UK-trained medical doctor, provided a strong impetus to the government’s resolve to promote universal health coverage.

Also, health education provided under the scheme will teach families how to make healthy lifestyle choices and prevent chronic illnesses.

However, prior to the launch of KHIS, the health sector under the leadership of Governor Ahmed had recorded some laudable achievements among which is the comprehensive rehabilitation and remodelling of 5 General Hospitals in Ilorin, Offa, Omu-Aran, Share and Kaiama with state of the art equipment.

Also, about 50 Primary Health Care facilities were upgraded, while widely-acclaimed Community Health Insurance Scheme (CHIS) initiated by the previous administration, was expanded by the Ahmed administration from the three to 11 local government councils, with more than 600,000 rural dwellers benefitting.

The Ahmed-led government supplied drugs and equipment to 13 general hospitals and 43 primary health centres across the state. Free cervical and breast cancer screening were also conducted for 4000 female civil servants in the state in partnership with Leah Foundation.

When health care is affordable and accessible to the people, the economy grows and the poverty rate on the index stands at the barest minimum.

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