The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Vaccine Initiative, GAVI, and other partners, say it has cleared the zero-dose children, who had never been immunised before, from 7,094 to zero in the last 3 years in Niger State.
UNICEF representative in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate, disclosed this at the close-out of the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, (MOU), aimed at strengthening the state’s primary healthcare system.
He also charged the government to ensure sustainability.
The 3-year MoU was in the areas of leadership and governance, service delivery, vaccine chain management logistics, human resources for health, community mobilisation and sensitisation, advocacy, data management, monitoring and evaluation, and health financing.
According to the UNICEF representative in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate, represented by the Chief of Child Protection, Ibrahim Sesay, as a result of the intervention, over 7,000 children without vaccination before the signing of the MoU 3 years ago, were all captured and immunised.
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He added that more women are also patronising the health facilities for antenatal care and delivery, hence charging the government for sustainability.
The state government, on its part, assured of sustainability, as they plan to deploy telemedicine facilities, across all primary healthcare centres, provide internet services and build doctors’ accommodation, to house medical personnel within the facilities.
The Commissioner for Primary Healthcare, Ibrahim Dangana, disclosed that the programme had made tremendous progress in reducing maternal and infant mortalities in the state.
He further assured on sustaining the gains made, and ensuring that Niger State has a viable primary healthcare system.
(Editor : Ena Agbanoma)
