PLASCHEMA Engages Stakeholders on Community-Based Health Insurance Readiness Assessment

The Plateau State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (PLASCHEMA) on 26th February 2026 convened a high-level stakeholders meeting at its office to disseminate and validate the findings of its Community-Based Health Insurance (CBHI) facilities and communities readiness survey. The meeting, which focused on the dissemination and validation of survey findings, formed a critical step toward the development of a comprehensive framework for the implementation of community-based health insurance in Plateau State.

The event brought together key stakeholders in the health sector, including the representative of the Honourable Commissioner for Health, representatives of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), the World Health Organization (WHO), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), development partners, health facility representatives, and other relevant actors. Their participation underscored the collaborative and multi-sectoral approach required to ensure a successful and sustainable CBHI scheme in the state.

In his opening remarks, the Director General of PLASCHEMA, Dr. Solomon Kwande, highlighted the significant progress made by the Agency since October 2025, when its memo received approval from the State Council on Health. He noted that following the approval, the Agency organized a series of stakeholder engagements aimed at developing and validating an appropriate data collection tool for the readiness assessment. He further explained that in November 2025, PLASCHEMA collaborated closely with WHO and trained field officers to carry out data collection across selected health facilities and communities. The data gathered from the field was subsequently analyzed to generate findings that would guide policy direction and planning.

Dr. Kwande emphasized that the purpose of the meeting was to present the analyzed findings to stakeholders, obtain their feedback, and validate the results before proceeding to the development of a structured framework for the implementation of Community-Based Health Insurance in Plateau State. He reiterated the Agency’s commitment to transparency, inclusiveness, and evidence-based decision-making in strengthening healthcare financing mechanisms within the state.

Also speaking at the meeting, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at PLASCHEMA,Dr. Nden Julfa, outlined the core objectives of the engagement. He stated that the meeting was designed to assess the Agency’s readiness to implement the CBHI scheme by disseminating the survey findings to stakeholders and providing a platform for constructive input. According to him, the validation process was essential to ensure that the findings accurately reflected the realities observed in the field and that stakeholder contributions would enrich the final implementation framework. The presentation of findings covered facility-level readiness indicators, community awareness and perceptions of CBHI, identified operational gaps, and opportunities for strengthening systems and processes. This was followed by an interactive session during which participants engaged in detailed discussions, offered technical recommendations, and sought clarifications on specific aspects of the survey results.

The climax of the meeting was the collective review and adoption of the findings. Stakeholders reached a consensus on the validity of the data presented and agreed that the insights generated would serve as a solid foundation for the development of a robust and inclusive CBHI implementation framework for Plateau State.

The dissemination and validation meeting marked another significant milestone in PLASCHEMA’s efforts to expand access to quality and affordable healthcare services through sustainable health financing mechanisms. The outcomes of the engagement are expected to directly inform the next phase of framework development and eventual rollout of the Community-Based Health Insurance scheme across the state.