EU commits N4b to polio immunisation in Nigeria

EU commits N4b to polio immunisation in Nigeria

EU commits N4b to polio immunisation in Nigeria

TOWARDS ensuring that Nigeria secures a World
Health Organisation (WHO) polio-free
certification by 2017, the European Union
Support to Immunisation Governance in Nigeria
(EU-SIGN) has committed N4 billion to
immunisation activities in Nigeria for 2015.
Officials said the funding covers three
categories of programmes operation
guidelines.
The funding is expected to cover a
period of four years to work with the
State Technical Assistance, STAs, with the
states and with the National Primary
Health Care Development Agency
(NPHCDA) to plan how to strengthen
immunisation, strengthening the cold
chain, the health facilities and build
capacities.
Contracting Advisor and Procurement
Expert for the EU-SIGN, Aminata Sidibe,
said at a Bi-annual Review Meeting of 23
states of the federation and the Federal
Capital Territory which benefited from
the fund in Abuja, said the scheme was
aimed at helping the country end polio
and other related diseases; help obtain
the WHO certification on polio and also
assist in containing other vaccine-
preventable diseases in the country.
Sidibe said: “The EU is committing 150
million euros into the programme. For
this specific programme estimate, 4.3
billion naira has been committed.”
Director of CONSEIL SANTE, an
organisation through which the EU funds
the SIGN programme in Nigeria, Anna
McAthur, said: “The EU-SIGN actually
came in at real good time for Nigeria
because we’ve just got to the elimination
of polio, and we are working towards
eradication of polio.
“Government has set up state primary
health care agencies and has advisory
body in each state. It is good for Nigeria
to strengthen its primary health care
agencies and also strengthen its
immunisation which will help to make
polio eradication in Nigeria a success.
“What is really important with the
programme is that it is working with the
state governments. So, working on a
system that will have a long term
impacts on reducing preventable
diseases and maintaining polio
eradication, it is working on governance,
it is working on human resources
strengthening. It is building equipment
in the state to be able to have strong
report. So, with all these support, and
working with the government, we can
get there and increase immunisation
campaign.”
Director of Department of Logistics and
Health Commodities at National Primary
Health Care Development Agency, Dr
Mustapha Zubair Mahmud noted: “We
must do all we can to maintain a polio-
free country up to 2017 so that we are
certified free of polio.
Focal Person for the EU-SIGN in Nigeria,
Dr Adamu Dawud noted that milestone
was to re-emphasize the place of routine
immunisation.
He noted: “And, thank God, the meeting
today addresses routine immunisation;
the routine immunisation and the
vaccination given to children from birth
to one year. It is actually the
immunisation that gives the potency for
children to develop immunity in such a
manner that they will be able to combat
all infections that will actually be
encountering them as they are growing.
Now, EU-SIGN programme is a very
special programme that came on board
actually potentate and sustain routine
immunisation.