The Vaccine Network for Disease Control,VNDC, has commended Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, for approving nearly $500 million to strengthen Nigeria’s immunisation programme and primary healthcare system over the next five years.
The Chief Executive Officer of VNDC, Mrs Chika Offor, said in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday in Abuja that the funding would accelerate efforts to reduce the number of zero-dose children and improve equitable access to life-saving vaccines.
Offor said the support, approved under Gavi’s 6.0 programme for 2026 to 2030, would strengthen routine immunisation, expand Human Papillomavirus vaccination, sustain polio eradication and improve vaccine financing.
She described the predictable five-year funding framework as a significant milestone that would enhance planning, vaccine procurement, cold-chain systems and service delivery across Nigeria.
“The approval of nearly 500 million dollars for Nigeria demonstrates Gavi’s confidence in our health system and provides a strong foundation for expanding equitable access to vaccines, particularly in underserved communities,” she said.
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Offor, who joined Gavi Chief Executive Officer, Dr Sania Nishtar, during a visit to the Gavi-supported Apo Primary Health Care Centre in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), said the engagement reaffirmed the importance of communities in reducing zero-dose children.
She said achieving universal immunisation required more than vaccines and health facilities, noting that effective community systems remained central to identifying, referring, tracking and following up eligible children.
According to her, the visit also demonstrated Gavi’s recognition of communities as indispensable partners in improving immunisation coverage and strengthening primary healthcare at the grassroots.
She said traditional and religious leaders, Ward Development Committee members, women groups and frontline health workers appreciated Gavi’s support in solarising the facility, which had significantly improved healthcare delivery.
She said reliable electricity had enhanced vaccine storage, preserved the cold chain and enabled health workers to provide better services to mothers and children.
She explained that civil society organisations remained indispensable because they mobilised communities, built trust, countered misinformation and supported efforts to identify and vaccinate zero-dose children.
She said CSOs also strengthened last-mile service delivery by ensuring eligible children were referred, vaccinated and followed up until they completed their immunisation schedules.
The statement also quoted the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, Dr Muyi Aina, as describing Gavi and other development partners as critical to improving access to quality primary healthcare during the visit.
“We remain very appreciative of the partnership that we have with Gavi and many of our development partners as we strive to improve access to quality basic health services for all Nigerians,” Aina said.
He described the Apo Primary Health Care Centre as a successful example of collaboration among the Federal Government, the local government and development partners.
According to him, the local government built and operates the facility, the Federal Government supports it through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, while Gavi provides vaccine commodities and funded the solarisation of the facility.
“The partnership has strengthened health infrastructure, improved vaccine storage and delivery, and created a sustainable model that should be replicated across the country,” he said.
Aina urged state and local governments to strengthen investments in primary healthcare and adopt similar partnership models to improve access to quality health services.
He added that sustained collaboration among governments, development partners, civil society organisations, traditional institutions, Ward Development Committees and frontline health workers would remain essential to ensuring that every eligible child receives life-saving vaccines
It will be recall that Nigeria has one of the world’s largest populations of zero-dose children, with an estimated 2.2 million children yet to receive a single dose of routine vaccines, making the country one of the highest-burden nations globally.
Zero-dose children are often concentrated in underserved, conflict-affected and hard-to-reach communities, where barriers such as weak health infrastructure, insecurity, poverty, misinformation and limited access to health services continue to hamper immunisation efforts.
To address the challenge, NPHCDA, has strengthened collaboration with Gavi, WHO, UNICEF and other partners to expand routine immunisation, improve vaccine cold-chain systems, upgrade primary healthcare facilities, strengthen disease surveillance and build the capacity of frontline health workers.
The partnership aligns with the Federal Government’s Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp), which seek to revitalise primary healthcare, expand access to essential health services, increase immunisation coverage and ensure that every eligible child is reached with life-saving vaccines
The Gavi 6.0 funding package will support routine immunisation, primary healthcare strengthening, vaccine financing, polio eradication activities and HPV vaccine expansion in Nigeria between 2026 and 2030.
NAN
