The United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is set to partner with the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) to enrol people living with HIV and other vulnerable persons in the state’s health insurance scheme.
The proposed partnership is aimed at promoting sustainable health financing, expanding health insurance coverage and improving access to healthcare for vulnerable populations across Rivers State.
The commitment was made during an advocacy visit by a delegation from the US CDC, Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) and the Rivers State Ministry of Health to the office of the Executive Secretary of RIVCHPP on September 20, 2026.
Speaking during the visit, the team leader and Country Director of the US CDC, Meegha Desai, said the delegation was engaging relevant stakeholders to explore sustainable health financing mechanisms for people living with HIV and other vulnerable members of society.
Desai said the stakeholders were interested in identifying strategies to expand enrolment and improve retention under the state health insurance scheme.
The team urged RIVCHPP to strengthen efforts to identify the poorest and most vulnerable residents while developing innovative approaches to public awareness and health insurance education.
The stakeholders also called for the exploration of mandatory health insurance coverage and alternative funding sources, noting that overdependence on government funding was not sustainable in the long term.
Responding, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of RIVCHPP, Dr Vetty Agala, represented by the Head of the Department of Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr Juliet Aleme, said the agency remained open to partnerships that would increase health insurance coverage across the state.
Agala expressed appreciation to the CDC for its support in developing RIVCHPP’s operational guidelines, actuarial studies and benefit package.
She called on stakeholders, organisations, multinational companies and local governments to support health insurance enrolment for people within their areas of operation, particularly vulnerable persons and those living with chronic illnesses.
She said such collective efforts would help expand access to healthcare and strengthen health insurance coverage across Rivers State.
