The South-South Development Commission (SSDC) and Akwa Ibom Health State Health Insurance have entered into partnership to provide affordable healthcare to over 2,000 vulnerable persons in the State.

The initiative, a pilot scheme by the Commission, is expected to be extended to all the states of the commission and is leveraging on the strides recorded by the Akwa Ibom health insurance agency established more than two years ago.

At the launch of the partnership in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, the Managing Director of the Commission, Usoro Akpabio reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to sustaining the initiative for as long as the Commission existed.

She also emphasised the Commission’s alignment with the broader objective of reducing catastrophic out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure and improving access to healthcare for the people.

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Represented by Preye Aganda, the Director of Human Capital Development and Social Welfare, she said good health would ensure children remained in schools, women to pursue their livelihoods and allows the oldest person to live with greater dignity.

According to her, across the South-South, particularly in the riverine and hard-to-reach communities, families can delay treatment because of the cost of care and the distanceto the health facilities adding that programme will help to ease the financial burden of seeking care

“Every enrolment slot must go to an eligible person who genuinely needs the support. I ask our implementation team to verify each beneficiary, prevent duplicate enrollment and make a deliberate effort to reach underserved communities. Once enrolled, each beneficiary should know what the scheme covers, where to receive care and whom to contact for help. We will follow up to make sure beneficiaries can use their cover when they need it,” she said.

“SSDC will roll out this programme across all six South South states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Deta, Edo and Rivers. We will work with the respective state health insurance authorities to uphold the same standards of fairness , verification and follow-up across the region.”

The Commission lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the support to the Commission and for entrusting it with a mandate to advance human capital development across the South-South, adding that the mandate was being put to use by helping people who face financial barriers get the healthcare they need.

In his remarks, Edikan Ekwere, a Medical Doctor and Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Health Insurance Agency Board, expressed delight that the agency had been chosen to be among the first states to benefit from the state and lauded Governor Umo Eno for setting up the agency which he said has won many laurels since it began services in 2024.

Also speaking, Igbemi Igbemi, a Medical Doctor and Executive Secretary of the Agency, said the team work exhibited by the Commission in collaboration with other relevant groups has resulted in the synergy it has recorded adding that over 2,200 enrollees in the scheme.

Igbemi also thanked Governor Umo Eno for the support given to the Agency and pledged that the scheme would continue to provide affordable healthcare to the vulnerable population.

There were goodwill messages from the World Health Organisation, Unicef and other development partners and the enrolment of beneficiary under the partnership.