Most social protection programmes in Ghana aspire to be universal in coverage, consistent with ensuring equal opportunities for all. For example, the capitation grant and free exercise books programmes aim to reach all children attending public schools, while exemptions under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) are supposed to cover all children under the age of 18, all older persons above 70, and all pregnant women irrespective of socio-economic status. Implementation often reflects this universalistic aspiration. In line with the government's characterization of the programme as a "national" programme intended to benefit public primary schools in "all 138 districts in Ghana" (Government of Ghana, 2006, p. ii), implementation of the programme started in late 2005 with 10 primary schools drawn from each of the 10 administrative regions (i.e. one school per region).