By Our Correspondent
The Taraba State Government has intensified efforts to achieve universal health coverage, placing thousands of vulnerable residents at the centre of its healthcare agenda through the expansion of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) and the Kefacare Health Insurance Programme.
At the flag-off of the 2026 BHCPF programme in Wukari Local Government Area on Monday, the Executive Secretary of the Taraba State Contributory Health Insurance Agency (TSCHIA), Pharm. Jacobs Akenzukpi, described traditional institutions as indispensable partners in ensuring the success of the state’s health insurance initiative.
According to him, traditional rulers have continued to play a crucial role in mobilising communities, promoting positive health-seeking behaviour and encouraging eligible residents to enrol in the government’s health insurance scheme.
Akenzukpi revealed that more than 128,000 vulnerable residents across Taraba State have already been enrolled and are benefiting from health insurance coverage under the BHCPF. Building on that achievement, the agency is targeting the enrolment of an additional 10,000 vulnerable beneficiaries across the ten political wards of Wukari Local Government Area.
He called on traditional rulers, community leaders, Ward Development Committees, religious organisations, women’s and youth groups, healthcare workers and other stakeholders to intensify awareness campaigns and encourage qualified residents to take advantage of the ongoing enrolment exercise.
The TSCHIA boss attributed the progress recorded so far to the commitment of Governor Agbu Kefas’s administration to improving access to affordable and quality healthcare for all residents.
He explained that the BHCPF serves as the implementation platform for the state’s flagship Kefacare Health Insurance Programme for vulnerable groups, providing coverage for pregnant women, children under the age of five, elderly persons, people living with disabilities and other indigent residents.
According to Akenzukpi, the initiative is reducing the burden of out-of-pocket medical expenses by ensuring beneficiaries receive quality healthcare services whenever they need them.
“The programme demonstrates the government’s determination to ensure that no vulnerable citizen is left behind in accessing essential healthcare services,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma Gbansheya, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to ensuring uninterrupted access to quality healthcare across Taraba.
He urged pregnant women, children, persons living with disabilities, orphans and elderly residents—the primary beneficiaries of the programme—to embrace the enrolment exercise and take advantage of the opportunity to access affordable healthcare.
Gbansheya noted that the state government has continued to invest significantly in strengthening healthcare infrastructure and expanding access to medical services in both urban and rural communities.
He appealed to residents of Wukari and the wider Taraba State to support the government’s healthcare reforms, stressing that collective participation would enhance the success of the programme.
The Chairman of the Board of the Taraba State Contributory Health Insurance Agency, Dr. Musa Haruna Ambikanme, also commended Governor Kefas for introducing the initiative, describing it as a transformative intervention capable of improving the health and well-being of vulnerable populations across the state.
For many beneficiaries, the programme represents more than a government policy—it is a lifeline.
Some residents who spoke with reporters expressed gratitude to the state government, saying the health insurance scheme would significantly reduce the financial burden associated with seeking medical treatment and improve their access to quality healthcare services.
With over 128,000 vulnerable citizens already covered and another 10,000 expected to join the scheme in Wukari, Taraba State’s health insurance drive is steadily advancing toward its broader objective of ensuring that financial hardship is no longer a barrier to essential healthcare for its most vulnerable residents.