Children’s rights is taking center stage once again in Oyo State, a major win for child welfare.
Oyo State has officially launched the Public Primary School Pupils Health Insurance Scheme, ensuring thousands of children gain access to quality medical care. The initiative, flagged off at the Civic Centre, Idi-Ape, Ibadan, was celebrated as a defining moment in child healthcare and a model for other states.
Oyo State’s Deputy Governor, Adebayo Lawal, at the launch harped on the importance of early healthcare intervention, stating that a healthy student population is foundational to the state’s future development.
According to him, the scheme will cover a range of medical services, including routine check-ups, treatments, and emergency care, thereby reducing the financial burden on families and promoting uninterrupted learning.
The Deputy Governor however called on parents and guardians to enroll their children promptly, assuring them of the government’s dedication to maintaining high standards of healthcare delivery within the program. He noted that this initiative is part of a broader strategy to improve public health infrastructure and outcomes in Oyo State.
Speaking at the event, Chief of UNICEF Lagos Field Office, Ms. Celine Lafoucriere, applauded the state government’s commitment to children’s well-being. She recalled seeing lively schoolboys playing on their way to school and pondering whether their families could afford medical care if one of them got injured.
“This initiative ensures that no child faces financial obstacles to accessing healthcare,” she said.
Universal health coverage, she noted, is not just a healthcare goal but an economic and social necessity. “When children have access to healthcare, they can focus on education, break the cycle of poverty, and contribute to the growth of Oyo State and Nigeria,” she said.
This invariably aligns with UNICEF’s mission of promoting equity by prioritizing vulnerable children.
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the Oyo State Health Insurance Agency (OYSHIA) described the initiative as the ninth healthcare access model introduced in the state. According to him, OYSHIA has already provided access to quality healthcare for over 250,000 residents, reducing their out-of-pocket expenses from 75% to just 10%.
“Our resolve is to innovate or die,” he said, explaining the agency’s commitment to expanding healthcare coverage. Â
The scheme’s initial rollout will provide healthcare to 10,000 public primary school pupils, with plans to enroll an additional 5,500 children in the coming weeks.
Recall that through UNICEF’s support, OYSHIA has also expanded its awareness campaigns and doubled the number of communities covered under its Community-Based Health Insurance Scheme (CBHIS).
The launch event was attended by key stakeholders, including representatives from the Ministry of Health, the State Universal Basic Education Board, and various civil society organizations, all of whom lauded the government’s initiative as a significant step toward achieving universal health coverage for children in the state.
