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Published on May 6, 2021

UNICEF Enrolls 5,000 Vulnerable People Into Health Programmes


The United Nations International Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF), says it is collaborating with some development partners and Sokoto  State Government to enroll 5,000 vulnerable persons into a contributory health scheme in the state.

The UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Sokoto. Mr Mohameden Fall, stated this at the opening of a four-day capacity building for state enumerators on Social Protection and Health Insurance, on Thursday in Sokoto.

Fall said, the programme was aimed at assisting people with disability, in poverty, and other vulnerabilities that enables them to receive health benefits. Vulnerable people from the region of Silame, Bodinga and Rabah are expected to benefit in the first phase of the programme.

He explained that the program would target no fewer than 5,000 individuals including pregnant women, children under five, adolescent girls, people with special needs and the elderly.

According to him, the capacity building signifies the commencement of the joint effort by UNICEF, ILO, UNDP, and WPP to assist the state in attaining Universal Health Coverage.

Also, Dr. Almustapha Danjuma, planning and monitoring specialist with UNICEF, said the training would enlighten the facilitators on how to identify and enroll people with special needs from various communities to benefit from the scheme.

The facilitator, Malam Isa Ibrahim explained that the training was part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), designed to run for two years, in the region of Sokoto among the pilot states. The programme would improve social protection of vulnerable persons in the state, and the training will encourage coordination among government agencies towards achieving the goals of the National Social Protection Policy.

Through an approach that recognizes the right to social protection, the joint programme, Institutionalizing Social Protection for Accelerated SDG Implementation in Nigeria, jointly implemented by the UN agencies, will support a Nigeria where everyone enjoys improved well-being thanks to sustainable, equitable and quality social protection benefits and services.