90% of Kaduna residents not covered by health insurance – Report

About 90 per cent of Kaduna State’s population is not covered by any health insurance scheme, a situation stakeholders say is worsening maternal mortality and forcing many residents to pay for healthcare out of pocket. The disclosure was made by the Advocacy Lead of the Maternal Health and Communications Project at ACIOE Foundation, Mrs Adenike […]

About 90 per cent of Kaduna State’s population is not covered by any health insurance scheme, a situation stakeholders say is worsening maternal mortality and forcing many residents to pay for healthcare out of pocket.

The disclosure was made by the Advocacy Lead of the Maternal Health and Communications Project at ACIOE Foundation, Mrs Adenike Badiora, during the presentation of an advocacy brief, titled “Accelerating Maternal Health Outcomes in Kaduna State: The Case for Private Sector Financing and Institutionalised Stakeholder Engagement” in Kaduna.

According to Badiora, Kaduna has recorded notable progress since the Health Access 2025 Roundtable Dialogue, including a partnership between the state government and the Gates Foundation projected to inject N1.2 billion into the health insurance scheme, the establishment of the Emir of Zazzau’s Health Committee covering 11 local government areas, and micro-payment pilot initiatives involving Polaris Bank and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). 

“Yet 90 per cent of Kaduna’s population remains uninsured. Private facilities, the de facto first point of contact for the majority of women, remain locked out of financing mechanisms, insurance frameworks and digital systems,” she said.

She added that the situation represents “not just a policy failure; but a direct contributor to preventable maternal deaths.”

Badiora noted that Kaduna State continues to face serious maternal health challenges, with a Maternal Mortality Ratio of 452.6 deaths per 100,000 live births and a neonatal mortality rate of 63 deaths per 1,000 live births.

She called on stakeholders, including government agencies, financial institutions, development partners, traditional institutions and the private sector, to urgently implement the 17 advocacy recommendations contained in the brief.

Responding, the Director-General of the Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Authority (KADCHMA), Abubakar Hassan, acknowledged the low awareness and uptake of health insurance identified in the study and described it as an opportunity for improved engagement.