Taraba Cuts Zero-Dose Children From 24% to 4%, Skilled Births Rise to 74.5%

Taraba Cuts Zero-Dose Children From 24% to 4%, Skilled Births Rise to 74.5%

JALINGO — Taraba State has recorded significant progress in primary healthcare delivery, reducing the proportion of children who have received no routine vaccinations from 24 per cent to four per cent.

The state has also increased skilled birth attendance from 54.7 per cent to 74.5 per cent, reflecting improved access to maternal and child healthcare services.

The Executive Secretary of the Taraba State Primary Health Care Development Agency (TSPHCDA), Dr Tukura Nuhu, disclosed the development during a media briefing in Jalingo.

Nuhu said the state had also emerged as Nigeria’s best-performing state in the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Measles-Rubella vaccination campaigns.

He attributed the progress to ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening primary healthcare services across the state.

According to him, the reforms include the recruitment of 450 health personnel, 336 emergency ambulance staff and the approved engagement of 480 community-based health workers.

He said the state had also revitalised 113 primary healthcare facilities across its wards under the IMPACT project.

Nuhu added that three regional healthcare centres had been upgraded through the intervention of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), while 13 other facilities had benefited from interventions supported by the Global Fund and UNICEF.

Despite the gains, the agency’s executive secretary warned that sustaining the improvements would depend on the government’s ability to address critical operational and funding challenges.

He identified inadequate counterpart funding, poor budget releases, lack of permanent office accommodation and unpaid electricity bills at the state’s cold stores among the major challenges confronting the agency.

Nuhu stressed that timely financial commitments, adequate logistics and sustained government support were necessary to consolidate the gains already recorded in the health sector.

He further warned that failure to resolve the challenges could threaten the progress made and potentially affect the state’s ability to attract and sustain support from development partners.