The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) says it will roll out the optimised routine immunisation sessions in 18 states that has poor routine immunisation indices in the country.
Dr Faisal Shuaib, the Executive Director, NPHCDA, disclosed this at a meeting with partners, business community and other key stakeholders on immunisation financing on Friday in Abuja.
The meeting was part of the activities to commemorate the 2018 Africa Vaccination Week.
He added that the agency would also enrol new innovations to increase the intensity and urgency in order to close the huge gaps and lapses in routine immunisation coverage in Nigeria.
“In 2017, we got the results of multi cluster indicators survey, we thought we were much better in terms of routine immunisation even thought there is evidence that pointed to the contrary.
“We have outbreaks of diseases all over the country, which is not in tandem with the administrative data of routine immunisation coverage.
“Since 2017, NPHCDA and development partners had wrap strong partnership to close the gap on equitable immunisation coverage,’’ Shuaib said.
He said the agency was moving towards matching its ambition on routine immunisation coverage and broader primary healthcare agenda.
He said the agency has also outlined best ways to pull resources and ensure that the gaps in terms of immunisation coverage were bridged.
Shuaib said NPHCDA intended to leverage on the donor communities and private sector innovations to reach Nigerian kids with the life saving vaccines they need.
“When we synergised some of the NPHCDA’s innovations with what the private sector is doing along with resources, we can reach the aspirations that no child will be left unvaccinated in the next few years,’’ he said.
The executive director said the Africa vaccination week was to heighten awareness around the importance of immunisation and advocacy to political leaders to provide funding for procurement of vaccines and operational activities.
He said the NPHCDA and partners would use the week to ensure that awareness about routine immunisation were heightened and improve activities targeted at getting vaccines to the last mile.
He said the week would be observed from April 23 to April 29, adding that this year’s theme is “Vaccine work, do your part’’.
While speaking on behalf of development partners, Dr Wondi Alemu, Country Representative of World Health Organisation (WHO), said the goal of the week was to strengthen immunisation programmes in the region.
He added that the week was aimed at keeping immunisation high on national and regional agendas through advocacy and partnerships.
He commended NPHCDA for rising to the challenges of addressing low routine immunisation coverage.
“The declaration of state of emergency on routine immunisation has given us confidence that the government is ready to implement business unusual strategies, approaches and interventions,’’ he said.
He explained that the interventions would assist the agency to reach the huge number of unvaccinated children in order to attain the national target of 85 per cent immunisation coverage by 2028.
The Minister of State for Health, Dr Osage Ehanire, said the immunisation programme should become routine immunisation all over the country.
He added that Nigeria has to be more prepared and create a road towards sustainable financing of routine immunisation programmes. (NAN)
