Taita, Taveta, KENYA: Over 1000 families living in Taita Taveta county will miss out on a free NHIF cover rolled out by the county in conjunction with AMREF if they do not formalize their unions before the closure of registration.
According to Community Health Volunteers facilitating health services at the grassroots level in Taita Taveta, the majority of families haven’t tied knots legally as husband-wife despite having sired several children.
Agnes Mwaore,a health worker from Mwatate explained most women are to be blamed for not convincing their husbands on the importance of acquiring marriage certificates after getting children so that they can benefit.
She challenged women and men already in marriage who haven’t legalized their union as husband and Wife to do so.
According to statistics from the Department of health services, only 2 out of every 20 families have formalized their unions.
The county has trained over 500 volunteers with each being required to handle approximately 20 families.
The program dubbed Afya Mashinani is targetting to register 150,000 families who will receive a free one year cover.
Mr. Stephen Mkaya also a community health volunteer said from the training conducted by County government, NHIF and Amref they will conduct a thorough civic education on families to organize with churches, mosque or visit the marriages Registrar for processing of marriage certificate.
Speaking during the community health volunteer forum in Mwatate Mr. Peter Mbugua the NHIF compliance officer said that a marriage certificate is not only a requirement for couples but it also helps protect the cover against beneficiaries not listed.
Requirements by the fund state that for one to add a spouse to his/her NHIF cover, one must submit a copy of a marriage certificate or a sworn affidavit other than the basic the requirements.
