Taraba State has recorded major improvements in routine immunisation and maternal healthcare, with the proportion of zero-dose children falling from 24 per cent to four per cent.
The Taraba State Primary Health Care Development Agency (TSPHCDA) also disclosed that skilled birth attendance in the state increased from 54.7 per cent to 74.5 per cent. The Executive Secretary of the agency, Dr Tukura Nuhu, announced the figures during a media briefing in Jalingo. Nuhu said the latest figures reflected the impact of ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening primary healthcare delivery across the state.
According to the TSPHCDA boss, Taraba also emerged as Nigeria’s best-performing state in the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Measles-Rubella vaccination campaigns. He attributed the progress to expanded healthcare interventions and increased staffing across primary healthcare facilities.
The state recently recruited 450 health personnel and 336 emergency ambulance staff. Nuhu added that approval had also been secured for the engagement of 480 community-based health workers. These measures, he said, had helped improve access to healthcare services, particularly in underserved communities.
Nuhu disclosed that 113 primary healthcare facilities had been revitalised across the state’s wards under the IMPACT project. He said three regional healthcare centres had also been upgraded by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency. In addition, 13 healthcare facilities benefited from interventions supported by the Global Fund and UNICEF.
The agency said the interventions had contributed to the improvement in maternal and child healthcare outcomes recorded across the state. The increase in skilled birth attendance from 54.7 per cent to 74.5 per cent, in particular, indicates broader access to trained healthcare professionals during childbirth.
Despite the Taraba healthcare gains, Nuhu warned that sustaining the improvements would require urgent attention to operational challenges confronting the agency. He identified inadequate counterpart funding and poor budget releases as major concerns. The agency is also facing difficulties arising from the lack of permanent office accommodation.
Nuhu further disclosed that unpaid electricity bills at the state cold stores remained a concern, particularly because reliable power supply is essential for preserving vaccines. He stressed that timely financial commitments and improved logistics were necessary to maintain the progress already achieved.
The TSPHCDA executive secretary warned that failure to resolve the funding and operational challenges could reverse some of the gains made in the state’s healthcare sector. He also cautioned that continued delays could affect Taraba’s ability to attract or retain support from donor agencies. Nuhu therefore called for stronger government commitment to healthcare financing and logistics.
He maintained that sustaining the Taraba healthcare gains would require consistent investment, effective coordination and timely implementation of healthcare programmes. The agency said maintaining the momentum would be critical to ensuring that more children receive routine vaccinations and that expectant mothers have access to skilled care across the state.
