Arusha — AT least eight per cent of Tanzania's population are benefiting from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), one of the key pillars of the country's social protection sector.

Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office responsible for Labour, Employment and Social Relations, Deus Sangu, revealed in Arusha recently that the NHIF currently serves 6.7 million beneficiaries across the country.

According to the minister, the scheme comprises two main groups: 1,391,000 contributing members and 5,426,000 direct dependents, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to over eight per cent of the national population.

Addressing delegates at the recent concluded Social Protection Fund Stakeholders Meeting at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC), the Minister said that NHIF, together with other social protection entities, works in synergy to ensure comprehensive coverage for all Tanzanians.

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During the meeting, the minister also launched a special NHIF scheme aimed at self-employed individuals, including those working in the informal sector, providing them with a new portal for registration and access to services.

The meeting further highlighted achievements by the Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF), which has reached more than 2.47 million poor households in two phases, benefiting over 5.5 million people through essential services valued at 968bn/-.

The government has additionally disbursed over 1.55tri/- in grants to poor households and provided temporary employment to more than 600,000 people, who collectively earned over 214bn/-.

The Director General of the Public Service Social Security Fund (PSSSF), Mr Fortunatus Magambo, announced that the fund has launched a digital application allowing members to access services directly via smartphones or tablets.