From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Eight states including Bayelsa, Zamafara, Katsina, Niger, Kebbi, Gombe, Taraba and Jigawa have received 420 motorbikes, 18 vehicles from GAVI, the global vaccine alliance, to enable them boost Primary Health Care (PHC) services especially immunization services with the goal target of reducing cases of zero dose immunization.
The motorbikes and the hilux vehicles were presented to the states in Abuja, as part of the second bi-annual partners review meeting on PHC Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) organised by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).
GAVI Senior Manager, Health Systems Strengthening, Dr. Ibrahim Ali Mohammed, told journalists at the meeting that $50 million was earmarked by GAVI to implement the programme in the benefitting states which would culminate in an improved human capital, governance, supply chain and other areas that would ultimately strengthen healthcare system in the states.
Director General of the NGF, Asishana Okauru, in his remarks, warned the states against misuse of the grant, saying that NGF secretariat would provide the required oversight of the implementation of the MoU to ensure that the funds were judiciously utilized for the purposes they were earmarked for.
“Necessary items would be procured and maintained, because the performance of these eight states might influence the future funding opportunities utilized by partners,” he said.
He was optimistic that with the level of commitment from the state actors and commissioners of health despite the heat of the political season in the country, the programme would go beyond expectation, reaching out to more women and children even at the end of the grant.
Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) Dr. Faisal Shuaib, said the donation was of inestimable value to the government of Nigeria considering the challenges of the COVID-19 and childhood immunization services.
Dr. Shuaib, who was represented by the Director, PHC System Development Department, Dr. Ngozi Nwosu, warned that the vehicles and motorbikes must not be converted for personal use, stressing that they were intended to be used on the field to provide healthcare services to the people.
UNICEF Chief of Health, Eduardo Celades, urged the states to ensure that the vehicles were solely used for the purpose of strengthening PHC services, particularly at hard-to-reach communities, stressing that more results and impacts were expected within the remaining two years and six months of the three year $50milion GAVI grant.
He said: “We have been talking about inadequate human resources. Please use these tools, the vehicles wisely, drive carefully. Use it for purpose it was meant, which is to strengthen PHC services in the states and as well to reduce the zero dose of immunization in your states.”
World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Representative to Nigeria, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, said the vehicles and motorbikes would help to address the challenges associated with logistics and improve access to routine immunization in the right benefitting states where the highest number of zero dose children were resident.
“We are happy to have this donation today which is catalytic. It’s just an incentive for the respective states to do the same to contribute to this effort. We would be very happy in a few months, few years time to say no more zero dose immunization in Nigeria.
“We are really pleased with the commitment and we would continue to play the central role not only in the state, but serve as model for the remaining states in Nigeria and other countries,” he said.