Kadauna State Government Enhances Vaccination Coverage as Gavi donates About 3.6 Billion Naira.
The Global Health Partnership known as Vaccine Alliance has donated About Three Point Six Billion naira Towards strengthening Routine Immunization Priorities in Kaduna State.
The vaccine Alliance comprises of Gavi, UNICEF, WHO, Gates Foundation, and other partners who have been partners to health development indices in Nigeria and Kaduna State in Particular.
Senior Country Manager, for Gavi Nigeria Jessica Crawford, who announced the donation during a visit to Government House Kaduna appreciate the government for the steady progress it has made towards addressing immunization coverage especially in the last two years.
She stated that Gavi is one of the greatest interventions that has happened to humanity globally and has so far raised over one billion children from child preventable diseases
Jessica Crawford said the about 3.6 billion naira (3 Million dollars) donation will be for the next two years and the visit by Global Alliance was an exploratory visit to strengthen existing partnerships.
‘We have already built this platform and we are bringing Gavi and the Alliance partners to really have some exploratory conversations with Excellency your team, to see how we can expand the frontiers of those conversations, we have also seen firsthand the very strong political will that exists within health and within the state leadership team really in driving progress towards routine immunization and primary health care strengthening we’ve seen very strong coordination amongst partners well-functioning PHC task force chaired by your excellency thank you for your leadership”
The Gavi Country Manager maintained that over the last seven years, the organization had supported Kaduna state with cold chain equipment, with vaccine supply operations, campaigns and outbreak response including other health system strengthening initiatives, such as solarization efforts, and health workforce support.
She therefore commended the state government urging the state to continue in it’s efforts towards reducing zero dose population and to improve overall equitable access to vaccines.
The state deputy Governor Hadiza Sabuwa Balarebe who received the deligation said government has expanded immunization coverage, strengthened infrastructure, trained and deployed frontline health workers and also enhanced health data system.
The Deputy Governor maintained that The impact of collaboration is visible as More children are protected, more mothers are informed and empowered, and more communities are embracing health seeking behaviors.
“The primary health care system is steadily becoming stronger, more resilient, and better equipped to respond to the needs of our people, thanks to the investments made by the administration within the health sector, government will continue to invest in revitalizing community health care facilities, deploying innovative technologies for supply chain and health information management, and building trust through consistent, transparent engagement with our communities.”
The deputy governor expressed satisfaction for the visit and reaffirmed commitment to safeguarding the health, dignity, and future of every citizen, especially the most vulnerable children and women in the state.
Earlier, representative of National Primary Health Care Development Agency Mr Hassan Shehu commended Federal Government for providing enabling environment that allows Public Private Partnership and it ability to provide counterpart funding for the Health Sector.
Cov/Shindong Bala
