Expanding Health Insurance to Improve Sexual and Reproductive Health Outcomes

This project aims to increase coverage of gender responsive sexual reproductive maternal and newborn child health (SRMNCH) services in target states in Nigeria. Project activities include: (1) developing and costing state-specific expansion strategies for the health insurance programs to include vulnerable groups; (2) building capacity of state and community groups to sensitize community members on health insurance programs; (3) enrolling vulnerable women girls and children under five into each targeted states’ health insurance programs; (4) establishing and implementing counterpart funding agreements with states’ governments to subsidize health services; and (5) developing state-specific health financing strategies. The project expects to reach 120 000 direct beneficiaries (women girls and children under five years old) 500 000 indirect beneficiaries and 459 health facilities across six states.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased coverage of state health insurance schemes to formal and informal sectors; (2) increased access to gender-responsive SRMNCH services for the most vulnerable populations; and (3) improved enabling policy environment for gender-responsive SRMNCH services for the most vulnerable.