National Telescope national telescope newspaper
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has secured health insurance premiums worth N61 million for 5,085 orphans and vulnerable households in Taraba State.
This initiative is part of the Integrated Child Health and Social Services Award (ICHSSA-4) project, conducted in collaboration with the Taraba State Government, the State Contributory Health Insurance Agency, and the Ministry of Women Affairs and Child Development.
In addition to the health insurance, USAID also made instant cash transfers of N20,000 each to 574 beneficiaries and distributed start-up kits to 551 others to support their livelihoods.
Speaking in Jalingo, the state capital, on Friday, Dr. Joseph Inyang, the Chief of Party of the USAID-ICHSSA-4 project, emphasized the project’s mission: “We are dedicated to supporting state governments and local partners in providing comprehensive and high-quality services to vulnerable populations.
This intervention, combining health insurance, cash transfers, and vocational empowerment, provides crucial support to improve the quality of life for children and families in Taraba State.
It also lays the foundation for long-term economic empowerment for vulnerable households.”
Dr. Inyang highlighted that the five-year project, jointly implemented by Pro-Health International and Catholic Relief Services, aims to mitigate the impact of HIV and other factors causing vulnerability in states like Taraba, Adamawa, Bauchi, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara.
The Deputy Governor of Taraba State, Aminu Alkali, also expressed appreciation for the intervention, describing it as “timely” and noting that it would “further alleviate the sufferings of vulnerable persons across the state.”
