A leading civil society organisation in Nigeria, Women and Children in Support of Community Development Imitative (WOCCI NIGERIA) , has made an urgent call to the Plateau State Government, communities and stakeholders to collaborate with PLASCHEMA in reaching the informal sector in achieving the Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The Executive Director of WOCCI Nigeria, Edwina Jyi Mang, made the call recently, at a media round table and press briefing organised by the organisation in collaboration with PLASCHEMA, supported by Development Governance International Foundation (DGIF) and funded by Christian Aid (CA), held at PPFN Conference Hall, Jos, the Plateau State capital.
The Executive Director said, “The world celebrated Universal Health Coverage Day about three weeks ago. Today, a stark reality echoes in Plateau State. Millions remain excluded from essential healthcare, trapped in a cycle of illness and financial burden.
“The Plateau State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (PLASCHEMA) strives to provide a safety net, but critical gaps remain especially for the lifeblood of our communities-the informal sector. Farmers, commodity vendors, artisans and countless others who drive our economy, often go without vital healthcare, unable to afford the annual premium. This is unacceptable!
“On this day, Women and Children in Support of Community Development Initiation (WOCCI), a leading Civil Society Organisation, calls for urgent and united action from the Plateau State Government, communities and all stakeholders to bridge this healthcare gap”, she advocated.
Established in June 2019, Mang said PLASCHEMA has demonstrated a commitment to providing citizens with quality health services, reducing the burden of out-of-pocket spending. She pointed out that, despite their efforts, challenges persist, particularly in reaching the informal sector, including local farmers, vendors, riders and artisans who rely on daily income.
“PLASCHEMA requires urgent support to ensure these individuals are included in the health insurance scheme, fostering easy access to affordable health services. The agency has initiated efforts to sensitise Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) and engage with communities to promote awareness and understanding of the health insurance scheme. However, the implementation process has faced numerous challenges, impeding progress towards improved coverage.
“PLASCHEMA’s officials have identified the informal sector as a primary challenge and in response, they have created flexible payment plans to accommodate the financial constraints of this informal sector demographic.
“Let’s bridge the healthcare gap, not just today, but for generations to come. Let’s make Plateau State a beacon of Universal Health Coverage, a place where everyone thrives healthy and empowered”, Mang enthused.
THE NIGERIA STANDARD reports that WOCCI is a non profit organisation, dedicated to empowering communities through strategic interventions in health, education, humanitarian and socio-economic development, respectively.
On his part, the PLASCHEMA’s Director General, Manasseh Agabus, represented by the agency’s Director, Marketing and Investment, Mrs. Theresa Gofwen, commended WOCCI for the intervention and promised to embark on an aggressive campaign using their 2024 Slogan: ” Get one, Tell one and Bring one”
The DG said, “we have gone to the remotest communities in the state and we discovered that the best way is to encourage them to key into the programme. Very soon, apart from the fact that our agency had taken a step in helping people to key into this Health Insurance Scheme, If don’t have the #12,000 to pay for the premium, you can pay at least #250 weekly or #1000 monthly.
He also disclosed that, PLASCHEMA has, in order to have a huge Universal Health Coverage in the state, adopted a system that could tolerate the payment of this premium especially by farmers in the rural areas with grains quantifying the amount to enable them to enroll since they were major drivers of the state economy.
