Accra High wins Greater Accra NHIS inter-school quiz

Accra High School has emerged as the winner of the Greater Accra Regional National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Inter-School Quiz Competition, organised by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to promote health insurance awareness among students.

The school secured 42 points after four rounds of competition, narrowly beating Accra Academy, which finished second with 40.5 points. Ebenezer Senior High School placed third with 40 points.

The competition, held at St Mary’s Senior High School at Korle Gonno in Accra, formed part of activities marking the NHIS Month in November and was organised in collaboration with the Greater Accra Regional Office of the Ghana Education Service (GES).

The initiative was aimed at deepening students’ understanding of the NHIS, its benefits and its role in ensuring access to quality and affordable healthcare.

Participating students

Accra High School was represented by Esther Tabi Nkrumah, Ridwan Salifu and Fodaus Yaya.

Accra Academy’s team comprised Awaitey Felix Tettey Sikatse, Osafo Abraham Caris and Mannel Abiwu Glenn, while Ebenezer SHS was represented by Ruben Ayi, Princessa Odoom and Audrey Larbi.

NHIA urges students to become health insurance ambassadors

Speaking at the event, the NHIA Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Administration and Human Resources, Mr Raphael Segkpeb, Esq., urged students to become ambassadors of the scheme by educating their families, friends and communities.

He described young people as powerful agents of change and said equipping them with accurate information would help improve public understanding of the scheme and encourage more people to appreciate its benefits.

He urged contestants to demonstrate teamwork and uphold fair competition, stressing that the knowledge gained was more important than winning.

Drawing on his secondary school experience, he encouraged students who might not progress to the next round not to consider themselves failures, recalling that he had participated in several quizzes without winning.

NHIA Regional Director highlights sustainability

The Greater Accra Regional Director of the NHIA, Marguerita Taylor Plange, Esq., also urged students to share what they learnt with their families and communities, particularly the importance of enrolling in and renewing NHIS membership.

She said investing in young people’s knowledge was essential to the scheme’s long-term sustainability and the achievement of universal health coverage.

The Headmistress of the host school, Mrs Philomena Owusu-Ansah Barnes, welcomed the participating schools and commended the NHIA and the Regional Education Office for selecting St Mary’s SHS as the neutral venue.

She encouraged students to use the knowledge acquired to educate their families on NHIS registration, membership renewal and access to healthcare, emphasising that the scheme existed to ensure no family had to choose between treatment and survival.

GES calls for early health insurance education

The GES School Health Education Programme (SHEP) Coordinator, Madam Philipina Tuffuor, called for increased health insurance education among schoolchildren, noting that many NHIS cardholders did not fully understand their healthcare entitlements, covered services, eligibility requirements and membership procedures.

She said students who understood health insurance could become ambassadors in their homes by encouraging parents and relatives to register and renew their memberships.

She also commended the NHIA for its support and commitment to health education, stressing that its mandate extended beyond membership cards to prioritising people, particularly children and their future.

Competition results

Accra High School maintained its lead to finish top of the contest with 42 points, while Accra Academy followed closely with 40.5 points.

The final scores were:

PositionSchoolRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4Total1stAccra High School1212810

42

2ndAccra Academy121288.5

40.5

3rdEbenezer SHS121288

40

The competition forms part of the NHIA’s broader efforts to strengthen public awareness of the scheme, using schools as a platform to educate young people and encourage them to promote health insurance knowledge within their communities.