The July 24th 2016, marks two years since Nigeria recorded the last polio case, as the world celebrates this success story, Community Health and Research Initiative (CHR), under the aegis of Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH) joins the Global polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) to applaud Nigeria from all sections of the country for the efforts made towards keeping Polio out of the nation for the past two years.
The feat achieved so far has brought Africa and the rest of the world very close to total eradication of Wild Polio Virus (WPV) which has been a global burden and one of the highest causes of U-five deaths. It is also an important milestone and a major step towards polio-free certification for Nigeria in 2017.
As the World joins Nigeria to celebrate this achievement so far, CHR with support from the PACFaH Consortium, is calling on the Nigerian government to ensure timely release of Routine Immunization funds allocated in the 2016 appropriation act.
CHR/PACFaH wishes to commend the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, for the allocation of N12.879.67 billion for immunization which presents 45% of the total 2016 health budget. The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Ado Muhammad, is also commended for efforts to ensure a strong surveillance system is in place by increasing environmental surveillance sites and community informants across the country.
For sustainability, CHR calls for timely release of 2016 immunization funds, accountable expenditure of the funds to meet the required needs and achieve a total coverage of immunization activities as the country moves to the last phase of the eradication program.
Out of the N12.879.67 billion appropriated for immunization, N9, 821.33 billion (76%) is allocated to Polio Eradication Initiative, N1, 017.50 billion (8%) is to be used for Traditional Vaccines and Devices, N1, 743.41 billion (14%) will be used for non-polio SIAs (Vaccines + Devices +OPS cost), N220.46 million (2%) for Hajj vaccines while N76.97 million will cover for clearing and distribution of vaccines and devices.
“Nigeria must not relent in its goal towards achieving a polio-free nation certification by 2017, but this is only achievable if the government can meet the required funding needs, and make resources available as well as ensure funds to be used for immunization and polio eradication program are judiciously utilized for this purpose” said Dr Aminu Magashi Garba, CHR/PACFaH Project Director.
“ what is needed in Nigeria is improved political will and efforts to meet financial commitments made for immunization at all levels of government, strengthened surveillance system with access to basic healthcare services and other life-saving vaccines to protect the nations’ children from vaccine preventable deaths” Aminu Magashi Garba said.
Further notes:
The Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health Project (PACFaH) Nigeria is a pilot project supported by the Gates foundation as an innovative initiative to learn about the potential for engaging Nigerian Civil Society Organizations. The project is implemented by eight Nigerian civil society groups working together to encourage government to plan for and increase funding to four important areas in child and family healthcare in Nigeria. The four areas are:
Routine Immunization
Family Planning
Amoxicillin as first line treatment (FLT) for Pneumonia and ORS-Zinc as treatment of childhood diarrhoea diseases
Nutrition
The project is designed as evidence based advocacy intervention which aims to increase government effort at national and state levels to comply with pledges in the area of funding, administrative/regulatory procedures, and public health policy. Community Health and Research Initiative (CHR) is implementing the Routine Immunization component of the project, which is to advocate for increased political commitment by Nigerian government to meet its Routine Immunization (RI) obligation. It is leading in advocacy for adequate and timely release of RI funds, budget tracking, and mobilization of RI CSOs for strengthened advocacy at national level, and in Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna, and Niger State.
CHR’s advocacy aims to achieve the following:
Increased budget at both the national and state level to ensure adequate funding for vaccine procurement in line with Country Multi Year Plan and Forecasting.
Value-added budget tracking for effective and timely release of funds dedicated for RI vaccines at national and state levels
Improved leadership commitment and capacity to identify and plan for sustainable sources of funding for RI in project timeline and beyond
