PRESS RELEASE: LEAP Programme Registers Beneficiaries Onto The National Health Insurance Scheme
The Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme in collaboration with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) will conduct a nation-wide exercise to register LEAP beneficiaries onto the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) from 18 July to 21st December, 2016.
The nationwide NHIS registration for LEAP beneficiaries is a follow-up to a successful pilot registration exercise that was undertaken in March 2016 in the Shai Osudoku and Ada West Districts of the Greater Accra region. During that exercise, a total of 856 beneficiaries were registered onto the NHIS platform and some of them had their cards renewed. The registration exercise under the LEAP Programme is targeted at all LEAP beneficiary household members who do not have NHIS card or whose NHIS registration cards will expire within three months from the date this exercise is initiated in a district.
The NHIS registration is an automatic complementary service for all LEAP beneficiaries under an MOU signed between the Ministry and the NHIA. The objective of the NHIS registration is to increase access to health care services among the LEAP beneficiaries.
The NHIS registration for LEAP beneficiaries will be carried out in 185 LEAP Districts. Nearly a total of 281,656 beneficiary household members are expected to benefit from this exercise.
The LEAP Programme is both a conditional and unconditional cash transfer programme being implemented by the LEAP Programme Secretariat under the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP). The objective of the Programme is to reduce poverty by increasing consumption and promoting access to services and opportunities among the extreme poor and vulnerable households. For an extremely poor household to qualify for LEAP, it must have at least one member who is an Orphan or a Vulnerable Child or an elderly person aged 65 years and above without any support or a severely disabled person without any productive capacity and or a pregnant woman or a child under 2 years of age.
As a result of this process, it is expected that LEAP beneficiaries will access free health care. This will subsequently lead to a considerable reduction in healthcare expenditure for LEAP households thereby enabling LEAP households to use the cash grant on other productive activities.
The Programme wishes to appeal to all stakeholders and the general public to support this registration exercise.
ISSUED BY:
THE LEAP PROGRAMME
MINISTRY OF GENDER, CHILDRENAND SOCIAL PROTECTION (MoGCSP)
Achaligabe Colson Akanbasiam (Mr) is the Head of Case Management of the LEAP programme. He has over 15 years working experience in both governmental and non-governmental organisations. He holds a Master of Philosophy Degree in Gender and Development (Norway) and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology with Political Science (Ghana).
Alhaji Lateef Mamudu is a senior civil servant and has Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accounting from Tamale Polytechnic and a Bachelors Degree in Accounting from Ghana Institute Of Management And Public Administration (GIMPA).
Thomas Boateng Quaison holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and Information Studies from University of Ghana. He has undergone training on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) including Evaluation of Social Programmes at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. He is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Public Administration (MPA) at the University of Ghana Business School and Project Management Professionals (PMP) at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration.
Richard Azina Nartey joined the LEAP team in September 2013 as Assistant to the Head of Operations Unit, having previously worked as a Programme Officer on the National Social Protection Strategy at the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. Richard worked with Youth and Women Empowerment (CSO) as Youth Coordinator, Project Manager and Executive Director.
Felix Kwaku Logah Felix Kwaku Logah is the head of operations for the LEAP Programme. He is the lead in planning and implementing LEAP Programme design parameters. He is responsible for targeting and enrollment activities. He is a professional Social Worker who holds Masters degree in Development Studies, Bachelor in Social Work and Clinical Psychology, Certificate in Public Heath all from University of Ghana, Legon. Trained in Designing and Implementing Social Cash Transfer in the Economic and Policy Research Institute, Cape Town -South Africa, Trained in Development Evaluation (IPDET) in Carleton University, Ottawa-Canada.
Dzigbordi Kofi Agbekpornu is the National LEAP Manager and is responsible for leading the team at LEAP Management Secretariat to achieve the Programme objectives. He also coordinates and manages programme activities across the country at regional, district and community levels.
Jeremiah Yanney is a City & Guilds of London Institute Certificate & Diploma holder in Microprocessors and Microcomputer Technology, Microsoft A+, Networking+ and (MCP) Microsoft Certified Professional, (MCSE) Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, FSK systems. He has specialized skills in Hardware, Networking, Systems administration, MIS consultancy, training, and a Certificate in Social protection (CSPS, University of Ghana).
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