By Vincent Ujumadu

The Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA) has launched a strategic initiative aimed at ensuring that 90% of the state’s population benefits from health insurance coverage by 2030, aligning with the goals of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

During the unveiling of the Anambra State Strategic Health Development Plan for Health Insurance (2025–2029) in Awka, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ASHIA, Dr. Simeon Onyemaechi, emphasized the agency’s commitment to providing accessible and affordable healthcare services.

According to Onyemaechi, ASHIA’s goal is to enable all residents to access quality health services when and where needed without facing financial hardship. Established in 2018 and operational since 2019, the agency currently has an enrollment figure of 223,916 individuals, representing 7% of the state’s population.

Onyemaechi highlighted key objectives of ASHIA, including: Resource Pooling: Ensuring financial risk protection for enrollees against catastrophic health expenditures.

Good Governance: Promoting transparency, strategic communication, and accountability in ASHIA’s operations.

Equity and Accessibility: Prioritizing vulnerable groups to ensure financial protections for accessing healthcare.

Visibility and Public Perception: Enhancing public awareness and acceptance of ASHIA’s operations.

Revenue Generation: Strengthening financing mechanisms for expanded health insurance coverage.

Efficient Healthcare Purchasing: Using strategic mechanisms to maximize value in procuring healthcare goods and services.

Onyemaechi noted that well-implemented scale-up strategies could significantly boost health insurance enrollment, reduce maternal, neonatal, and child mortality, and support the achievement of UHC in Anambra State. He called on stakeholders to increase investments in health insurance to enhance the well-being of the population.

Of the current enrollees, 35% seek treatment for malaria, 10% for maternal care, 10% for hypertension, 5% for diabetes management, and 3% each for eye and dental care. Over 200 service providers are engaged in delivering healthcare across the state.

Onyemaechi added that ASHIA aims to reduce payment processing times for service providers to seven days by the third quarter of 2025.

He also urged stakeholders, including philanthropists and community leaders, to support vulnerable groups by paying their insurance premiums.

 “The message is sinking in,” Onyemaechi said, citing examples of community leaders, industrialists, and lawmakers adopting the ASHIA model. The wife of the governor, Mrs. Nonye Soludo, enrolled over 1,000 people with disabilities into the scheme during Disability Week celebrations.

Currently, 38% of enrollees come from the informal sector, and 82% of subscribers have renewed their policies, reflecting a growing insurance culture in the state.

With continued strategic efforts and stakeholder collaboration, ASHIA is poised to make quality healthcare accessible and affordable for the majority of Anambra’s residents by 2030.