To deploy an objective means of identifying the poor and vulnerable populations, the implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) and Vulnerable Group Fund (VGF), DGI Consult supported the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to develop a nationwide vulnerability assessment and mapping tool. The process began with a review of existing vulnerability assessment tools being used by state health insurance agencies to identify viable tools that could be adapted to the national context. Upon identifying a viable tool, DGI Consult engaged stakeholders at the national and state levels through a participatory workshop. The workshop which held at Sawalino Hotel in Keffi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State aimed to ensure inclusive and contextually relevant development of the nationwide vulnerability assessment tool. The stakeholder workshop also involved a field test of the assessment tool in three communities to provide practical exposure to its use in different community settings and identify some key features for adaptation to the national context.

The key adaptation features recommended by stakeholders informed the development of the nationwide vulnerability assessment tool. The nationwide vulnerability assessment tool is digitized (digital registry) with several features that enable it to perform a wide array of functions. Some of the key features of the nationwide vulnerability assessment tool include but are not limited to: (a) a multi-level platform with three access points (NHIA admin, state admin and data collector interface); (b) multiple parameters for determining the vulnerability of individuals (poverty level, means of livelihood, household possessions, and chronic disease burden); (c) calculation of vulnerability index (VI) that measures vulnerability severity, which is automatically computed for individuals based on their responses to the vulnerability assessment questions, allowing the selection of the most vulnerable persons; (d) alignment with the parameters of the National Social Register’s assessment tool; (e) applicability to all health insurance subsidization schemes; (f) linkage to the health insurance enrollment platforms at the various levels for easy enrollment of the eligible and approved individuals based on their vulnerability index or other enrollment criteria; and (g) flexibility of adjustment or modification of key features and parameters by the NHIA and the states to suit their context.

The nationwide vulnerability assessment tool will be widely disseminated to stakeholders at the national level. This will be followed by the training of responsible officers within the health insurance ecosystem to ensure the effective utilization and management of the vulnerability assessment platform upon rollout.