The Gavi Vaccine Alliance, WHO, UNICEF and other development partners have joined the Kaduna State Government to strengthen routine immunisation and address the rising number of zero-dose children.
The collaboration followed a high-level immunisation delegation visit to Kaduna on Monday, where stakeholders reviewed challenges affecting vaccine delivery and primary healthcare services.
The Executive Secretary, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board, Prof. Bello Jamoh, said identifying the challenges was the first step towards addressing them.
Jamoh said the state had acknowledged its weaknesses and was ready to deploy available human, financial and other resources to confront them.
He expressed optimism that proper implementation of jointly developed strategies would produce unprecedented results in immunisation and primary healthcare delivery.
According to him, involving political stakeholders and development partners brings strength, diversity and constructive criticism needed to improve the health sector.
He described the engagement as an opportunity to assess the state’s situation and identify immediate, medium-term and long-term interventions.
Jamoh said Kaduna had recorded improvements in infant and neonatal mortality, utilisation of health services and skilled birth attendance compared with the 2018 National Demographic and Health Survey.
He, however, expressed concern over the relative increase in zero-dose children, describing it as a major challenge confronting the state and the country.
He said the situation contributed to immunity gaps and recurring outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, including diphtheria.
The executive secretary said the state had conducted diagnostic assessments and recommended strategies to address the challenges.
He described discussions with the delegation, led by Dr Thabani Maphosa, Gavi’s Chief Country Delivery Officer, as productive.
Jamoh said the engagements involved WHO, UNICEF, the Gates Foundation, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, and other partners.
He said the stakeholders had jointly developed action plans with clearly defined responsibilities to improve immunisation outcomes.
Jamoh said the Kaduna State Government, under Gov. Uba Sani had demonstrated the political will required to strengthen primary healthcare services.
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He expressed confidence that additional support from development partners would complement the government’s efforts and produce sustainable results.
Earlier, Maphosa said the delegation visited Kaduna to understand the government’s priorities and explore areas of partnership in addressing immunisation challenges.
He commended the state government for its transparency and willingness to openly discuss challenges affecting healthcare delivery.
Maphosa identified insecurity as one of the factors affecting access to health services but noted that the state had introduced strategies to address the situation.
He cited the DRIVE initiative, which he said was helping to address vaccine stock-outs and manage supply challenges.
Maphosa said Kaduna’s 2+2 development agenda provided a clear framework for partners to align their interventions with the government’s priorities.
He stressed the need for better coordination and discipline in implementing agreed programmes to achieve the desired results.
Also speaking, Dr Garba Rufai, Director of Disease Control and Immunisation at NPHCDA, said the delegation interacted with community members to understand their perspectives on immunisation.
Rufai said the community had recently experienced a disease outbreak in which five children reportedly died.
He said the experience had increased awareness of the dangers of immunity gaps and made community mobilisation easier.
According to him, the community leader has been engaging ward heads, men, husbands and household heads to encourage parents to vaccinate their children.
Rufai described the involvement of men in immunisation advocacy as an important development, particularly in communities where their participation was limited.
He also commended community leaders, community-based organisations and civil society groups for supporting vaccination activities.
He expressed hope that sustained mobilisation would eliminate outbreaks and ensure that all children received their recommended vaccines.
The Deputy Representative of UNICEF Nigeria, Ms Rownak Khan, said the visit was aimed at assessing health service delivery and reviewing Kaduna’s plans for improving routine immunisation.
Khan said the delegation reviewed relevant data and implementation strategies with the State Primary Health Care Board.
She said the engagement was also part of the Joint Annual Review involving UNICEF, WHO, Gavi, the Gates Foundation and other development partners.
Khan said the delegation visited a health facility where it observed routine immunisation, nutrition, adolescent and young people’s health, and family planning services.
She, however, said available data showed that many children had not received any routine vaccination, leaving them vulnerable to diseases such as diphtheria and measles.
She urged the state government to implement the agreed plans and allocate adequate funding to healthcare services.
Khan said UNICEF would continue supporting Kaduna through existing programmes covering health, education, nutrition and child protection.
She said UNICEF was also supporting vaccine delivery to health facilities through an innovative approach that had improved vaccine availability.
According to her, vaccine stock-outs have declined from nearly 80 per cent to 25 per cent following interventions by UNICEF and its partners.
She added that UNICEF would sustain its support for polio eradication and other immunisation programmes.
Similarly, Dr Kate O’Brien, Director of WHO’s Department of Immunisation, Vaccines and Biologicals, said the delegation engaged mothers, fathers and community leaders on the importance of vaccination.
O’Brien said the team examined some immunisation cards and found that while many children had completed their vaccination schedules, others still missed certain vaccines.
She said the delegation discussed the vaccines required to enable such children to catch up with their immunisation schedules.
O’Brien described vaccines as safe, life-saving interventions that protect children against diseases and support their healthy growth and development.
She urged parents to ensure that their children received all recommended vaccines to protect them from preventable diseases.
NAN
