By Chisom Okafor
The Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA) is hosting a national team for a five-day Integrated Mentorship Supervision Visit aimed at improving health insurance coverage and access to healthcare for tuberculosis (TB) patients and people living with HIV across the state.
The exercise, which runs from Oct. 12 to 16, is being conducted by the National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme (NTBLCP), in collaboration with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), under the Global Fund Resilient and Sustainable Systems for Health (GF-RSSH) Grant.
The visit seeks to assess beneficiaries’ enrolment, insurance coverage and utilisation of healthcare services, while strengthening coordination between ASHIA and relevant TB and HIV programmes.
The visiting team comprises representatives of NTBLCP, NHIA, the National AIDS and STI Control Programme (NASCP), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Anambra State Ministry of Health, ASHIA, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and other stakeholders.
Activities scheduled for the exercise include stakeholder meetings, technical sessions with ASHIA and the state’s TB and HIV/AIDS control programmes, as well as visits to selected directly observed treatment, short-course (DOTS) facilities, primary healthcare centres and antiretroviral treatment centres.
The team will engage enrolled beneficiaries to assess their experiences, determine whether they can access the services covered by their insurance and identify gaps requiring attention. Field enrolment of eligible beneficiaries is another key component of the exercise.
In addition, the supervision will examine ASHIA’s financial management systems to promote transparency, accountability and the effective use of grant resources.
The exercise is expected to generate practical recommendations for improving programme implementation, strengthening institutional collaboration and ensuring that more eligible beneficiaries can access affordable healthcare without unnecessary financial hardship.
The initiative aligns with Anambra State’s broader efforts to expand health insurance coverage and advance universal health coverage under the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
Chisom Okafor is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
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