Anambra Enrols 10,384 People Living With HIV in State Health Insurance Scheme

The Anambra State Government says it has enrolled 10,384 People Living with HIV (PLHIV) into the state's health insurance scheme as part of efforts to expand access to affordable, quality and sustainable healthcare services.

The Executive Director and Project Manager of the Anambra State AIDS Control Agency (ANSACA), Dr Nkem Okeke, disclosed this on Wednesday after a stakeholders meeting in Awka convened to review the integration of HIV services into the Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA).

According to Okeke, the initiative is designed to ensure uninterrupted access to treatment while strengthening long-term healthcare delivery for people living with HIV across the state.

He described the enrolment milestone as evidence of the government's commitment to improving healthcare outcomes for vulnerable residents.

"The milestone underscores the state government's commitment to providing affordable, quality and sustainable healthcare services for people living with HIV while strengthening long-term health outcomes and support," he said.

Okeke noted that Anambra has emerged as one of Nigeria's leading states implementing the integration of HIV services into its health insurance programme to guarantee wider healthcare access and long-term sustainability.

He said the stakeholders meeting reviewed implementation progress, assessed challenges and explored strategies for expanding enrolment and improving service delivery.

"We assessed the implementation of the integration of HIV services into the state's health insurance scheme. We shared experiences and identified practical measures to improve service delivery and address challenges affecting access to HIV care across the state.

"Our discussions also focused on strengthening implementation and increasing enrolment to sustain the gains already recorded," he said.

The ANSACA boss commended the progress recorded so far and called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, development partners and other stakeholders to consolidate existing achievements and expand coverage to more beneficiaries.

He reaffirmed the agency's commitment to ensuring that no person living with HIV in Anambra is denied access to quality healthcare.

Okeke also stressed the importance of regular HIV testing, early diagnosis and prompt treatment, while urging residents to reject stigma and discrimination against people living with the virus.

According to him, those measures remain essential to ending the HIV epidemic in the state, improving treatment outcomes and enabling affected persons to live healthy and productive lives.

The stakeholders meeting formed part of Anambra's broader efforts to strengthen healthcare financing and integrate HIV services into mainstream health insurance to ensure sustained access to treatment beyond donor-supported interventions.