Six months after MoU Eight States meet GAVI to review performance
Six Months into signing of Memorandum of Understanding between Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation and eight states in the country, the Stakeholders met in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory to review performances of the respective states and to chart the way forward towards improved health care system.
The meeting held at Frazer Suites, Central Area in the Nation’s Capital had in attendance, Deputy Governors, Honourable Commissioners of Health, and Executive Secretaries of benefitting States, Country Representative of World Health Organization, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo officials of GAVI, UNICEF, and other stakeholders.
At the close of the meeting which is a biennial event , the State’s representatives made commitments to improve on human resources of health by absorbing the personnel recruited under the GAVI programme into the mainstream civil service after the expiration of the agreed period, to ensure that budgeted funds are released promptly and to enhance Demand Creation through innovative community initiative.
Other Areas of commitment include, service delivery by carrying out all planned activities and service to ensure the Zero dose children are reduced, and all communities are reached, as well as maintain project vehicles and tools for only the purposes they are meant for.
In his presentation during the plenary session, the Deputy Governor of Gombe State, Manassah Daniel Jatau, Ph.D, explained that Gombe State has prioritized Health Care Delivery and has through the GAVI MoU, released #106, 000,000( One hundred and Six Million Naira as it’s commitment for the first year of the Health System Strengthening (HSS) support.
He said, “the Local Government Task Force on Immunization meets monthly while the state Task Force meets quarterly. This is to ensure timely report of challenges from the Local Governments with a view to resolving them on time. It is important to resolve challenges from across The LGAs promptly in order to reduce morbidity and mortality from preventable causes especially among our most vulnerable population ( women and children).
” The state would soon install dashboard in the state Executive Council Chamber to monitor PHC indicators during council meetings. The coordination meetings by the LGA Task Force has increased the number of Immunization sessions conducted across zero dose settlements ( planned 4,205 Immunization session and conducted 4,379) from April to September 2022.”
” Presently, the State Government has released #106,000,000( one hundred and Six Million Naira as its own commitment for the first year of the GAVI Health System Strengthening (HSS) support. The state is also aware of the huge gap that exist in Human Resource of Health (HRH) and the 440 recently employed health workers will barely be enough to close the huge gap across all cadres of health care workers,” he added.
In their separate messages the Director-General Nigerian Governor’s Forum A. B. Okauru, the Country Representative, World Health Organization Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo , and the Representative of Executive Director, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Fisal Shuaibu, as well as Dr. Tokunbo Oshey and Dr. Seth Barkley of GAVI expressed delight over commitment of the states to improve on the Strengtening of Health sector for the betterment of humanity.
They noted the need to do more by ensuring wider involvement of stakeholders, government’s political will, mass enlightenment, in order to achieve the commitments of the Memorandum of Understanding for efficient health care delivery in Nigeria and beyond.
They commended the direct involvement of GAVI to give out assistance of 48 Million Dollars, Hilux Vehicles and Motorcycles to the affected states to enhance performance, calling on the states to pay their counterpart funds and buy more vehicles for smooth operations and effective coverage.
Speaking to the Press shortly before the commencement of the meeting, the Executive Secretary, Gombe State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Abdulrahaman Shuaibu explained that the Commissioners of Health and Executive Secretaries of PHCDAs of the eight benefitting states had a preliminary meeting a day before with GAVI and other donor Agencies to discuss the progress of activities of Primary Healthcare in various states.
He said, the members had the opportunity to also discuss challenges faced by the states in the implementation process with a view to proffering solution toward tackling the challenges.
He noted that the selection of the states to be engaged in the programme was as a result of indicators showing communities with many zero dose among children, and the need to address the problem and engage them for immunization coverage.
The Deputy Governors of Katsina, Jigawa, Niger, Taraba and Zamfara, were present while their Bayelsa counterpart joined virtually and kebbi state was represented by Commissioner of Health. The Gombe State Commissioner of Health Dr. Habu Dahiru was also in attendance.
Highlight of the occasion was the symbolic presentation of vehicles to the Deputy Governors who are the Chairmen of State’s Steering Committees on Immunization.
Jack Tasha
Senior Special Assistant (SSA)Media and Publicity to the Governor,
(Deputy Governor’s Office)
