By Bello Hamza, Abuja
As part of the activities to commemorate his 59th birthday on Sunday, December 19th, former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, through his Abubakar Bukola Saraki Foundation (ABS Foundation), enrolled 1000 Kwarans selected across the 16 local government areas of Kwara in the Kwara State Health Insurance Scheme.
This was contained in a statement signed by Olu Onemola, Abubakar Bukola Saraki Media Office, Abuja.
Speaking at the launch of the programme, which has beneficiaries from the 193 wards in Kwara, the celebrant, and launcher of the insurance scheme, Dr. Saraki, called for public and private sector participation to achieve 100 percent universal healthcare coverage across the nation.
“Four days ago in Abuja, at a Health Summit organised by Chatham House, I challenged Nigerians to ensure that they scrutinise the healthcare manifestos and promises of all aspiring to lead at the national and state levels before the next general election.
“Today, Nigeria’s health system is in serious need of decisive improvement. Our life expectancy is 55 years. Our maternal mortality rate is 917 per 100,000 live births. Our child mortality rate is 201 per 1000 live births for under-fives. Our rate of deaths as a result of malaria is 300,000 yearly – the highest globally. While our confirmed deaths from COVID-19 stand at nearly 3,000, though actual numbers are likely to be far higher.
“This is why, today, as I mark my 59th birthday, alongside my darling wife, Toyin; my friends and supporters; and the great people of Kwara State, who have always keyed into our initiatives, I am proud that once again, we are leading from the front on healthcare — and backing up our ‘talk’ with deliberate action,” Saraki said.
The former Senate President emphasized that in 2007 under his administration as the Governor of Kwara State, he established a state-wide Community Health Insurance programme — the first of its kind in the nation. He stated that this initiative was aimed at providing all Kwarans with universal healthcare.
He also reminded the beneficiaries how as the Senate President, he rallied my colleagues in the 8th National Assembly to ensure that we implemented the provisions of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund Project (BHCPF) by insisting that one percent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund went towards the provision of basic healthcare in the 2018 budget.
“This initiative, a first of its kind, helped to ensure that the 30,000-plus primary healthcare facilities across the 774 local government areas of Nigeria, received increased funding.
“Today, as a private citizen, through the Abubakar Bukola Saraki Foundation, once again, we are demonstrating our commitment towards the overall health and wellbeing of all our people, by announcing the first stage of our plan to onboard 1,000 Kwarans, selected across the 193 wards and 16 local government areas of our state into the Kwara State Health Insurance Scheme (KWHIS) that my administration initiated in 2007.
“I believe that the federal and state governments must increase spending on healthcare to a minimum of 20 percent of the total budget and 60 percent of that should be spent on the 30,000 primary healthcare facilities in the country.
“This is because, a healthy population is the most productive population. A healthy population makes governance easier. A healthy population will make people automatically grow the economy,” the former Senate President said.
