Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nigeria has been said to be making significant progress in vaccinating children both in rural and urban areas.
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However more still needs to be done to ensure that those in the riverine areas have access to vaccines.
The Executive Director, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, who stated this during a tour of the agency’s cold room by GAVI high level mission, in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital also said that Nigerians deserves the best in terms of healthcare and access to primary health care services.
“The Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunizations high level Mission are in Nigeria for an annual review mission. The mission is aimed at looking at the accountability framework that was developed in 2018 between Nigeria and Gavi. It is an indicator of how Nigeria is reaching the children with vaccines, how primary health care is being funded, and how Nigeria is making sure that adequate resources are provided to procure vaccines for children”. Dr.Faisal said.
He also said that Nigeria has made a positive impact in terms of vaccine administration.
“Nigeria has made significant progress, again we want to reach a situation where all eligible kids in Nigeria are vaccinated. untill we reach these type of number we will not be satisfied. We have to look at look at not only the coverage but also equity and those who live in rural areas, the poor and the vulnerable. We want to ensure they are protected from vaccine preventable disease. We will not stop there, Nigeria deserve the best interms of access to primary health care services and that is what we are working with our global partners to achieve“. He said.
According to Dr. Shuaib, more needs to be done to achieve the desired goal of the health sector.
“In terms of the work that needs to be done, we have to go to remote areas of Nigeria, we have to continue on how we can reach Nigerians that are in riverine areas, desert and mountainous areas. We have to continue with the work that we do with the military to try and access Nigerians that live in security compromised areas to access these population.
The population that are in dire need of these services. We can not rest in the urban areas just because people in the urban areas are reached. We are not done, our work has to be making sure that we reach the last mile where Nigerians are needing these services”. He said.
On vaccine production, Dr. Shuaib expressed happiness over the opportunities given to Nigeria by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to produce vaccines.
“It will be a very strong platform for us to develop local vaccine. The government has heightened the Collaboration that needed us to get to this level. This was not an over night success, this has come from several months, years on the Ministry of Health engaging with development of donor partners. So for us at NPHCDA, there is no better news than the opportunity for us to be able to vaccinate our citizen with local vaccine that are locally produced. That WI will increase the confidence that people have in the vaccine that are administered “. He added.
The Director, UNICEF Supply Division Etleva Kadilli, called for an increase in the coverage level and the strengthening of the health sector.
” COVID-19 virus has affected the health system, so we are looking on increasing the coverage level and protecting those who are most at risk. We have to support the Government ambition to reach their target, but most importantly to strengthen the health system, so that the routine immunization is not left out. This chain capacity expansion will serve the country in the future and also address other disease outbreaks such as measles and polio” Dr. Kadilli said.
The GAVI delegates have been engaging with Nigeria’s Ministry of health and its agencies to evaluate and assess what has been done in the health sector in the past couple of years.
