No Fewer Than 110,000 Caregivers’ Benefits From Cash Transfer In Jigawa

Umar Akilu Majeri

Over 110,000 Caregivers in Jigawa state benefited from Cash Transfer for Routine Immunization Initiative funded by a Non-Governmental Organization known as All Babies Are Equal.

 

 

The Stakeholders Relationship Director of the Organisation, Mallam Nura Muhammad stated this during a courtesy visit to Governor Badaru Abubakar in Dutse.

 

 

He explained that the program is using cash incentives to encourage mothers and less privileged families to take their children for routine Immunization.

 

 

According to him, caregivers have received N500 for each of the first four routine immunization visits and N2,000 for the fifth Immunization.

 

 

Mallam Nura Muhammad pointed out that the cash transfer initiative contributed to increasing of routine Immunization coverage by 26% from the commencement of the program in 2018 to 2020.

 

 

He said the initiative has impacted positively at four selected local government areas in the state.

 

 

He, therefore, urged the Jigawa state government to advocate and promote cash transfer incentives for routine Immunization at Nigerian Governors Forum NGF.

 

 

 

Mallam Nura noted that the organization is optimistic if routine Immunization coverage increased in the north and Nigeria at large, the National Indices for child mortality rate would certainly dropdown.

 

 

While Responding, Governor Badaru Abubakar described the Initiative as a classical example of Human Capital Development Investment that could enhance the social and economic development of any given society.

 

 

Badaru promised to keep on collaborating with All Babies Are Equal and other donor partners to improve public health care service delivery for achieving sustainable social and economic development in the state.

 

 

Reports from the state ministry of health revealed that, as a result of a series of interventions, effective strategy, and collaboration with partners and other stakeholders the state had a dramatic change in immunization coverage from 7% in 2012 to 93% in 2020.