By Kemi Olatunde

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The Ondo State Contributory Health Commission (ODCHC) has commenced enrollment of 18,000 vulnerables

The commission in partnership with the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) commenced phase three enrollment of the Vulnerable Population Programme, targeting 18,000 pregnant women and children under 5 years.

This was revealed at the planning meeting for the phase three enrollment of CHAI vulnerable population programme which was organised by ODCHC in Akure on Tuesday.

The Director-General, ODCHC, Dr. Abiodun Oyeneyin reiterated Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa’s commitment to the well-being of residents of the State.

“We have done the first and second enrollments, currently we have 12,000 enrolled. Now we are adding additional 18,000 to it. At the end of the day, we have 30,000 pregnant women and children under five across nine Local Government Areas of the State that will be enrolled, and they will not pay a dime for all the covered services.

“We are having a training for the officers that will be participating in the enrollment to ensure a seamless process”.

Describing Ondo State as one of the states with the fastest growing health insurance in Nigeria, he commended CHAI for bringing improvement to the state health sector adding that the Commission is set to absorb the enrolled vulnerable at the expiration of the programme in November 2025 into the Basic Health Care Provision Fund Programme (BHCPFP) saying “nobody will be left out.”

The meeting had in attendance participants across 9 Local Government Areas of the State including Officers-In-Charge of Primary Health Centres, Mobilization Officers and PHC Coordinators from Okitipupa, Odigbo, Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo, Ondo West, Akure North, Ifedore, Akoko North East, Akoko South West, and Owo.

Oyeneyin urged the participants to step up their game and ensure that the aim and objectives of the programme are achieved.

In her goodwill message, the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, OSPHCDA, Dr. Yetunde Olagbuji lauded health workers’ dedication in providing qualitative services to residents in their various health facilities.

The Clinton Health Access Initiatives (CHAI) State Coordinator, Mr. Olamide Ayedun stated that the GAC PHC Programme is being implemented in 6 States in Nigeria (Bayelsa, Ekiti, Ondo, Kaduna, Katsina and Niger). He stressed that CHAI is working with 68 health facilities across 9 local government areas in Ondo State.

Ayedun noted that the organisation is determined to expand health insurance to improve sexual and reproductive health outcomes in Nigeria by increasing coverage of state health insurance scheme to formal and informal sectors, and improve enabling policy environment for gender responsive SRMNH services for the most vulnerable populations in the target states.

He explained that the programme would put in place availability of sustainable and predictable Government subsidy mechanisms to cover premiums for the most vulnerable, increase demand for minimum package of SRH services at PHC facilities and also enable availability of PHC facilities while providing a gender-responsive minimum package of SRMNH services among others.

While soliciting more support from health workers, he stated that “we are spreading the 20,000 enrollees across the 103 facilities, targeting pregnant women and children under five years”.

The Programme Manager, Basic Health Care Provision Programme, Mr. Feyijimi Egunjobi noted that the plan and process for the phase 3 enrollment will involve Town announcers, Mobilization Officers and Officers-in-charge of the primary healthcare facilities in the participating 9 local governments areas.

He urged the health workers not to falsify enrollee data, stating that there will be validation of enrolment forms and physical enrolment of beneficiaries will be carried out at the facilities.