NHIS must reach 'kayayei' and elderly women

The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) must reach vulnerable people in society, such as female head porters and the elderly, according to ABANTU for Development, who is launching a study into how these women access healthcare.

The project, titled Enhancing Gender and Social Responsiveness of the National Health Insurance Scheme: The Case of Female Head Porters and Female Senior Citizens, is a two-year project which will assess how the NHIS is treating these women. It is being supported by STAR Ghana (Strengthening Transparency, Accountability and Responsiveness in Ghana).

The NHIS, which was founded in 2004, is a system of healthcare financing intened to encourage the poor to seek appropriate healthcare without financial constraint as opposed to the 'cash and carry' system.

Current national statistics show that 40% of Ghanaians live below the upper poverty line (GHC90 per annum).

ABANTU says currently it is not clear to what extent ths NHIS is reaching vulnerable women below the poverty line.

The phenomenon of 'kayayei', or head porters, in major towns and cities is a result of poverty in the country's northern-most areas. Girls as young as ten years old travel to the cities to find work in the markets and find themselves sleeping on the streets and often becoming pregnant at very young ages. They then struggle to support themselves and their children. It is not unheard of for these women to give birth in the markets instead of seeking medical attention.