The federal government has received $191 million health systems strengthening grant from the Global Vaccine Alliance (GAVI), to reach 1.8 million children that have never received a single vaccine.
This is targeted at increasing national immunisation coverage to 84 per cent by 2028.
Gavi’s director of health systems and immunisation strengthening, Alex de Jonquieres, announced this yesterday on behalf of its CEO, Dr. Sania Nishtar, at the official launch of the new phase of the Health Systems Strengthening programme (HSS 3) in Abuja.
Commending Gavi for its long-standing support to the country’s health sector, the minister of health and social welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, expressed appreciation for the decades-long partnership, noting that the country does not take the alliance’s commitment for granted.
Pate, represented by the director of planning, research and statistics, Dr. Kamil Shoretire said, “Gavi’s investments have saved millions of lives in Nigeria and enabled the country’s immunisation programme to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve also been able to introduce life-saving vaccines such as those for HPV, malaria, and Mpox”.
He emphasised that Gavi’s mission of saving lives and improving equitable access to vaccines aligned with Nigeria’s broader health sector reform goals under the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII).
These reforms, he said, aim to save lives, reduce both physical and financial pain, and ensure health for all Nigerians.
The minister noted that the growing health sector budget and increased mobilisation of domestic funds to fill gaps left by changing donor policies were evidence of this commitment.
“All donor contributions, including those from Gavi, will be complemented with domestic resources and managed with transparency and accountability at all levels”, the minister assured.
He also highlighted the progress made under HSS 2, which helped to strengthen primary healthcare services across the country.
Pate also praised the leadership of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and other implementing agencies for their roles in the programme’s success.
He further noted the improved coordination within the country’s health sector following the signing of the Health Sector Compact by President Bola Tinubu in December 2023 and the adoption of the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp).
These moves, he said, have helped minimise resource wastage and programme duplication. He thanked Gavi’s leadership for their dedication to vulnerable populations and expressed confidence that the HSS 3 grant will contribute significantly to the health and wellbeing of Nigerians.
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