Hussaini Ibrahim 
KANO, Nigeria -The Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency says it has enrolled thousands of vulnerable residents, including people living with HIV, hypertensive patients and prison inmates, into the state’s health insurance scheme.
The initiative is part of efforts to reduce out-of-pocket healthcare costs and expand access to treatment for low-income and medically vulnerable populations across Kano State.
Executive Secretary Rahila Aliyu-Mukhtar on Friday said more than 6,000 hypertensive patients have already been enrolled to access medications and diagnostic tests they previously struggled to afford.
“We received a nationally generated report indicating that Kano State has reduced complications arising from hypertension,” she says.
The agency also confirms that over 6,000 people living with HIV have been added to the scheme to cover treatment for illnesses beyond HIV care, including malaria, diabetes and hypertension.
Aliyu-Mukhtar says plans have also been concluded to enrol another 6,000 tuberculosis patients under the vulnerable group insurance programme.
Data from the agency further show that all inmates in correctional centres across Kano State have now been enrolled in the insurance scheme — a move officials describe as the first initiative of its kind in Nigeria.
The programme has reportedly attracted interest from other states seeking to study Kano’s healthcare insurance model for vulnerable populations.
Health experts say rising inflation and healthcare costs continue to push millions of Nigerians into financial hardship, especially patients requiring long-term treatment for chronic illnesses.
The agency says expanding insurance coverage remains critical to improving healthcare access and reducing preventable complications among vulnerable residents.
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Oluwatobi Adu 
