Nigeria reassures commitment in partnership on immunization
—-seeks N3 billion for measles campaign
—– Nigeria has highest number of unimmunized children- survey
The Senate has reinstated Nigeria’s commitment in the partnership with the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI). Chairman of the upper chamber’s committee on Primary Healthcare and Communicable Diseases, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, reaffirmed the Nigerian government’s position when he received the GAVI CEO, Dr. Seth Berkeley, at the National Assembly on Wednesday.
Ohuabunwa who commended the nation’s long standing partnership with GAVI and its support since 2001, said the impact has been felt especially in funding the introduction of new vaccines, measles and yellow fever campaigns, and in the provision of injection safety commodities.
He informed the GAVI team accompanied by the World Health Organization representative, Dr. Okwo Belle, and chairman of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) Dr Dr Shuaib Falsa, that the Nigeria government is committed to accountability in all sectors, while the current leadership of the Federal Ministry of Health and the NPHCDA have also assumed exemplary courage in ensuring that the nation’s Health Care sector becomes a positive point of reference for everyone to see.
He also said that the National Assembly has been very conscious of the need to re-engineer the health care sector, hence it took the bold step of setting up a new Committee for Primary Healthcare and Communicable Diseases in the past two years.
“The goal of this commitment is to drive on the required efficiency and accountability of the many partnerships such as with GAVI which continue to have great impact on the primary healthcare delivery.
The National Assembly is aware that Nigeria is expected to provide a counterpart funding of about $11 million for the 2017-2018 planned measles campaign.
While there is no appropriation for this campaign in 2017 budget, I want to assure our guest that the National Assembly is aware of the enormity of the situation, and will certainly endeavor to appropriate adequate funds in 2018 for the 2017-2018 measles campaign, by requesting for a supplementary budget approval for 2017,” Ohuabunwa explained.
He also requested that GAVI consider reciprocating to the commitment of the National Assembly towards improving the primary health care sector in general, and immunization in particular, by equally grating the country the permission to pre-fund activities for measles campaign, pending when the operational funds from GAVI and the Government of Nigeria will be released.
Berkley had expressed concern earlier about the immunization system in Nigeria, noting that although the estimate of coverage was very high as at last year, but not right when compared to the outbreak of diseases in the country.
He said that Nigeria has the highest number of unimmunized children in the world, an unenviable record previously held by India.
According to the GAVI Chief Executive Officer, issues of fund must be taken very serious in order to improve Nigeria’s health system
Although he commended Government effort in the work on polio which he said has been very strong, Berkley who hoped that polio will be totally eradicated also urged the Nigerian Government to step up advocacy in ensuring that immunization is taken seriously across the country mostly in the States and local governments.
He said that the Board of GAVI is very concerned about the low coverage rate and would want a strong commitment from the government on improving the situation.
Also responding to the request on letting Nigeria pre-fund activities for the measles campaign, he said that GAVI is willing to consider changing slightly some of the transition policies to accommodate the request.
