The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) launched a new quiz competition and sensitisation drive on September 29, 2026, aiming to boost knowledge of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) among Senior High School students. The event kicked off at Kintampo Senior High School in the Bono East Region, starting a nationwide programme targeting 48 schools across Ghana.
The NHIA’s Corporate Affairs Directorate is leading the initiative, working with the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service under the School Health Education Programme. The goal is to give students practical knowledge about the NHIS, including its policies, operations, benefits, and digital services.
Dr Victor Asare Bampoe, the NHIA Chief Executive, said the programme will help students become health-literate advocates in their communities. "This initiative was designed to equip young people with practical knowledge of the NHIS and enable them to become health-literate advocates in their homes and communities," he said at the launch.
Students will learn about healthcare services covered by the NHIS, primary healthcare, exemption policies, and the categories of beneficiaries who qualify for exemptions. The programme also covers digital registration through the MyNHIS App and mobile membership renewal using *929#.
Mr Oswald Essuah-Mensah, Director of Corporate Affairs at the NHIA, said the competition will involve three schools from each of Ghana’s 16 regions, making a total of 48 schools. The competition will combine learning with interaction and healthy competition, helping students understand the NHIS and its operations.
The sensitisation exercise will prepare schools for the quiz by conducting interactive sessions and mock quiz rounds. Each participating school will form a three-member team to compete.
The first phase of the sensitisation started on the same day as the launch, with a team led by Dr Ruth Kukua Ntumy Coleman, Client Services Manager at the NHIA. They visited five schools in the Bono and Bono East regions: Our Lady Providence Girls SHS, Koase Senior High School, Akumfi Ameyaw SHS, Kintampo SHS, and Techiman SHS.
The exercise continued on September 30 in the Ahafo Region, visiting OLA Girls SHS, Serwaa Kese SHS, and Presbyterian SHS. Selected schools in the Ashanti Region were scheduled for engagement on October 2.
This phased approach allows students across participating schools to interact directly with NHIA officials and clarify questions about the Scheme.
The quiz competition will progress through regional contests and inter-zonal rounds before culminating in a national grand finale and awards ceremony set for November 26, 2026.
The NHIA’s focus on digital services and benefits reflects a push to make the Scheme more accessible to young people. By introducing tools like the MyNHIS App and mobile renewal options, they hope to increase the use of NHIS services among students and their families.
The initiative also aims to increase awareness of exemption policies and the NHIS Benefit Package. This will help students understand who qualifies for free or reduced-cost healthcare under the Scheme.
The NHIA’s effort to engage students directly through schools is part of a broader push to deepen understanding of health insurance in Ghana. As the competition moves forward, it will create space for young people to become informed ambassadors for the NHIS in their communities.
According to Joy Online.
