22/10/2025
The Acting Director-General of the Plateau State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (PLASCHEMA), Dr. Kwande Solomon Dawal was onboarded as part of the State Oversight Committee of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), positioned to operationalized the BHCPF 2.0.
This programme which was held at the Al Vari Hotel was an opportunity for the Federal Ministry of Health to unveil the operational modulations to the BHCPF thus transitioning the programme to BHCPF 2.0.
As part of the delegation from Plateau State led by the Honourable Commissioner of Health, this technical session created an opportunity for brainstorming on how the changes to the BHCPF can truly place it as a programme that can catalyse Nigeria’s aspiration towards the attainment of Universal Health Coverage.
The new guidelines hold a promise to achieve numerous objectives which include: Strengthening Nigeria’s Health Systems to Deliver Quality Healthcare Services to all Nigerians, Accelerating Enrolment of all Nigerians into Social Health Insurance thereby providing them with Financial Risk Protection, Strengthen Emergency Care by Ensuring avid First-Response to Medical and Surgical Emergencies, Deepen Response to outbreaks as well as Broaden Community, Social and Financial Accountability to Social Programming.
Contributing to discussions, Dr. Kwande opined that implementation of the BHCPF 2.0 presents an immense opportunity for driving Nigeria towards the pathway to Universal Health Coverage, where all Nigerians irrespective of their location of residence are able to gain access to the quality healthcare that they need without suffering financial hardship.
This operational aspiration fits seamlessly with the healthcare vision of His Excellency, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, which entails expanding the contributory scheme to achieve shared healthcare cost.
This vision is readily seen in the financing and operationalization of the Plateau State Equity Health Plan of PLASCHEMA which commenced with the enrolment of Nine Thousand, One Hundred and Thirteen (9,113) retired civil servants and further funding from the Local Government Authorities which birthed the enrolment of an additional Seventeen Thousand, Seven Hundred and Eighteen (17,718) other vulnerable individuals across the 325 Wards of Plateau State. With this policy implementation signal, truly, Plateau State is on the path to Universal Health Coverage.
With sustained commitment towards deepening Social Health Insurance in Plateau State, especially with strong commitment to Equity Funding and support from the Federal Government through the BHCPF, Plateau is poised to be the first sub-national entity in Nigeria to achieve Universal Health Coverage.
The Time is indeed Now for all hands to be on deck to not only achieve improved health outcomes in Plateau State, but further accelerate the gains currently being experienced in the health sector in general and in the Social Health Insurance sphere specifically.