By Chisom Okafor
The Civil Society for the Eradication of Tuberculosis in Nigeria (TB Network), Anambra State Chapter, has called for stronger collaboration with the Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA) to improve health insurance enrollment for tuberculosis patients in Anambra State.
The appeal was made during an advocacy visit to the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of ASHIA, Dr. Ezeka Augustine Uwaeme, at the Agency’s office in Awka on May 8.
Speaking during the visit, the TB Anambra State Coordinator, Ifeyinwa Unachukwu, congratulated Dr. Ezeka on his appointment as Executive Secretary of ASHIA and described his emergence as a positive development for the health sector in the state.
She said that the Global Fund-supported health insurance pilot project is aimed at ensuring that tuberculosis patients have better access to healthcare services without financial barriers. She added that the Network, with support from the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), is implementing Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) activities across Primary Healthcare Centres to identify healthcare delivery gaps and improve patient access to care.
Also speaking, the TB Network State Programme Officer (SPO), Onyekachi Samuel Ololo, identified the National Identification Number (NIN) requirement and low awareness among patients as some of the major challenges affecting enrollment into the ASHIA scheme.
The group further recommended stronger collaboration between ASHIA and the TB Network through regular data sharing, community sensitization, patient education on health insurance benefits, and joint efforts aimed at improving enrollment rates and strengthening service delivery at Primary Healthcare Centres providing TB services.
Responding, Dr. Ezeka appreciated the delegation for the visit and thanked them for the congratulatory remarks, noting that collaboration among stakeholders remains critical to improving healthcare access for vulnerable residents in the state.
He commended the efforts of the TB Network and its partners in supporting tuberculosis patients through community-based interventions and assured them of ASHIA’s readiness to work closely with relevant organizations to strengthen health insurance enrollment and expand access to affordable healthcare services across Anambra State.
Present at the meeting was Gladys Elemju, the State Coordinator of the Network of Persons Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN).
Chisom is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State
