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Tag: immunisation

  • FG eyes $49m in five years from immunisation administration

    FG eyes $49m in five years from immunisation administration

    The Federal government will give serious consideration to the implementation of a needle-free injection system into its immunisation administration landscape, it emerged on Friday.

    The move may be driven by a projected savings of $49.51m over the next five years, among other factors. 

    The global adoption of the technology, given its effectiveness in reducing pain, lowering infection risks, improving compliance and minimising medical waste, may have also fueled the government’s optimism for its implementation.

    This followed the dissemination meeting of the TROPIS Project in Abuja on Friday, a multi-year project that assessed the effectiveness of the Tropis device, a World Health Organisation (WHO)-pre-qualified needle-free device used for administering fractional Inactivated Polio Vaccine (fIPV) in routine immunization.

    The study, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and conducted by a consortium including PharmaJet, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Sydani, Jhpiego, and PATH, was carried out in Kano and Oyo states from October 2022 to July 2024.

    The study, which gathered data from healthcare facilities and engaged both healthcare workers and caregivers, evaluated the effectiveness, cost-efficiency, and scalability of the Tropis system compared to standard intramuscular (IM) injections.

    Speaking at the meeting, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, noted that the many proven positives associated with the needle-free device and its global acceptance make it important for the government to consider its adoption.

    The Minister, represented by his Special Adviser, Emmanuel Odu, said that the government would give serious consideration to the study’s report.

    NPHCDA Executive Secretary, Muyi Aina, emphasised that migrating to needle-free fIPV could save Nigeria’s immunization programs $49.51m over five years.

    Read Also: Rising Coronavirus infections, falling immunisation rates worry WHO

    Represented by Rufai Garba, the Director of Disease Control and Immunization, Aina noted that cost savings with the needle-free system ranged from $0.07 to $1.00 per dose, amounting to up to 47 percent in total immunization cost savings compared to standard methods.

    While presenting the device study, Paul LaBarre, Vice President of Global Business Development at PharmaJet, explained that the findings from Oyo and Kano States underscore the potential of needle-free polio vaccination to revolutionize routine immunization in Nigeria and beyond.

    LaBarre, who acknowledged the collaboration with partners like Jhpiego, PATH, and the Sydani Group, noted that the evaluation indicated that Nigeria’s success with the innovation could pave the way for wider adoption across the continent, making polio eradication more achievable.

    Furthermore, he said the cost-effectiveness of this method is significant, with up to 47% savings on total immunization costs, noting that it is particularly important for Nigeria, where healthcare resources are stretched.

    LaBarre, who explained that while the oral polio vaccine has been instrumental in eradicating the disease in many parts of the world, however, noted that it has limitations, including the risk of vaccine-derived polio.

    According to him, the use of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), which requires needles, has introduced challenges like higher costs, needle shortages, and logistical hurdles.

    However, healthcare workers and caregivers alike found the needle free device easy to use and safe, with zero device malfunctions reported during the trials, he pointed out.

    “This is where the intradermal needle-free delivery device comes in, offering a solution that eliminates the need for needles, reduces vaccine wastage, and enhances immunogenicity,” he added.

    Ms. Sinu Kurian, Director of the Health Population and Nutrition Office at USAID/Nigeria, in her remarks, emphasized the importance of strong evidence to support the transition to fractional inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) doses, as recommended by WHO.

    The agency urged national and international partners to fund the widespread adoption of the Tropis device, citing its potential to revolutionize Nigeria’s immunization strategies and contribute to global polio eradication efforts.

    Represented by Gertrude Odezugo, she expressed optimism that with USAID’s continued collaboration, Nigeria could become a leader in adopting cutting-edge immunization technologies, further strengthening its healthcare system.

    On his part, Babatunde Olatunji, Executive Secretary of the Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, commended the needle-free vaccination protocol as a significant innovation.

    While acknowledging its positive reception in the Local Government Areas (LGAs) where the device has been piloted in the state, he pointed out that the system’s simplicity makes it accessible for unskilled workers.

  • Changing Kano parents’ immunisation perception

    Changing Kano parents’ immunisation perception

    After vigorous campaigns by the Kano State Government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the just-concluded oral polio vaccination exercise for children under five years witnessed increased participation. FANEN IHYONGO, who visited some local government areas to chat with caregivers at some facilities reports

    Before now, Ungogo Local Government Area of Kano State had a record of 278 households that refused to participate in any immunisation programme. However, after intervention by a team of government officials, traditional rulers and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 225 of the households participated in the last polio vaccination exercise.
    The exercise was an oral polio vaccination for children under five (from 0-59 months) that lasted for four days.
    Hajiya Fatima Ibrahim, a UNICEF facilitator at Ungogo Council, told The Nation that “this polio vaccination exercise has recorded tremendous improvement, compared to two other previous rounds of immunisation.
    “In the past, we had over 1,000 non-compliant cases. However, this time around, we have only 53 households with 81 children with non-compliant records in the entire Ungogo.
    “Initially, some of them said they didn’t need immunisation; that what they needed was food and government palliatives, not the vaccine.
    “However, when we talked to the 53 non-compliant households, most of them availed their children for the immunisation,” she said.
    Some of the parents in Kano State are not aware that polio is a highly infectious disease that cripples children by attacking their nervous system and causing spinal and respiratory paralysis; in some cases death.
    Last year, out of the 240 cases of poliomyelitis recorded in the country, Kano State accounted for 80 per cent.
    This year, however, only seven cases have been reported from Kano, according to the Director-General of Kano State Primary Healthcare Management Board, Dr Mohammed Mahmoud.
    It was gathered that about 60 per cent of children in Kano are not protected since only 40 per cent take routine immunisation.
    To achieve nearly 100 per cent immunisation this year, a Media Briefing and Orientation on Polio Campaign was first held involving journalists.
    The media workshop helped the Kano community to know the importance of immunisation as polio remains a public health challenge.
    “If a child is paralysed, another child has to be assigned to look after the paralysed one. It, therefore, means two kids have been paralysed,” said Dr Mohammed Mahmoud, who added that “one child can infect about 200 children.”
    Thus, after much publicity about the resurgence of polio, the vaccination team moved from house to house to ask parents to avail all eligible children of the vaccination.
    The vaccination team also visited schools -private and public as well as Koranic schools, car parks and playgrounds, to vaccinate children under the age of five.
    The efforts brought about increased participation in immunisation. For this effort, UNICEF has received some accolades for creating adequate awareness of the need for the routine vaccination of kids against polio and other diseases in Kano.

    Twenty-eight-year-old Khadijat Hussein, a mother of three, said she was convinced to administer the polio vaccine to her children because of the UNICEF campaign and enlightenment programmes.
    She spoke at Panisau Health Clinic, Ungogo shortly after her two-year-old child, Amina, took this year’s dose of polio (nOPV2).
    “I am happy that I participated in this year’s polio programme. I was convinced to believe in it through campaigns and advocacy by UNICEF representatives. I will no longer allow my children to miss any form of immunisation because I know how important it is to their health.
    “I have been reaching out to my fellow women; sensitising them to the need to bring their children for immunisation.

    Read Also: FG approves N280b for completion of Bodo-Bonny road

    “I confirm to you that in Panisau, our parents are glad to allow their children to be vaccinated,” Khadijat Hussein said.
    The Focal Person for Gawuna Ward in Nassarawa Local Government Area, Ibrahim Muktar also said the exercise went smoothly, with a higher turnout.
    “We have no record of non-compliance in our area; our people are wise. They willingly embraced vaccines,” he said.
    In a chat with The Nation at the Gwagwarwa Comprehensive Health Clinic, Brigade Quarters, Muktar stated that they recorded 3,179 out of the 6,315 Target Population (TP) of immunised children in Gawuna Ward.
    Mrs Binta Musa was at Hotoro North Primary Healthcare Centre in Nasarawa Local Government Area where she took her 13-month-old daughter for immunisation. The nursing mother said she approached the facility to register the birth of her daughter, Afiyah and simply took advantage of that opportunity to avail the baby of a dose of the polio vaccine.
    The Focal Person for Sabon Gari West Ward in Fagge Local Government Area, Yusuf Shehu also said the exercise was successful.
    He said they discovered a high level of non-compliance in the previous exercises but recorded high participation this year when they started the direct observation of the immunisation for the first two days.
    “We captured schools, markets, churches and other special sites because we wanted to ensure that all children under the age of five were immunised.
    “On day one, we immunised 2,168 children and on day two, we immunised 2,143 children. We are experiencing over 100 per cent increase in compliance compared to the previous immunisation exercise,” he said.

    Our correspondent also visited the Cathedral Church of Holy Trinity, the headquarters of the Anglican Church in Kano, located along Igbo Road Sabon-Gari. There, the wife of the Senior Pastor, Mrs Joy Silas called on the state government, UNICEF and other partners to intensify the campaign for compliance with polio vaccination, despite the recorded improvement.
    Mrs Silas said the Church authority was ready to partner with the government and UNICEF in creating awareness through members of the church.
    She said: “Most of the parents in Kano State refuse to allow their children to get immunised. I believe in the immunisation of children because I know that the government intends to save the lives of our children.”
    She expressed dismay that the Cathedral Church was one of the designated areas for the vaccination but many parents could not bring their children to be vaccinated until the church authorities preached to them about the importance of the immunization exercise.

  • Lagos begins HPV immunisation campaign

    Lagos begins HPV immunisation campaign

    Lagos State Government is set to kick off the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine (HPV) immunisation for girls aged between nine and 14 years across the state.

    A statement  by the  Permanent Secretary,  Primary Health Care Board, Dr Ibrahim Akinwunmi Mustafa  said the  exercise, which begins today, will be kicked off by the governor’s wife, Dr.  Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu at the Surulere Local Government Secretariat.

    According to Dr. Mustafa, Human Papillomavirus is sexually transmitted, and is the causative agent of cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases such as skin and genital warts. Nineteen per cent of women who initiate sexual intercourse by the age of 15 years have increased risk of HPV infection (NDHS, report 2018).

    He said that schools and primary health centres have been earmarked as vaccination centres for wider and faster coverage.

    Read Also: FG, labour to meet on 15-point MoU implementation

    The permanent secretary, who said  the objective of the HPV vaccination was to give all eligible girls injectable HPV vaccine into the arm, for protection against cervical cancer , solicited the support of all stakeholders including parents, guardians, community and religious leaders to ensure all eligible girls were vaccinated during the campaign.

    The HPV vaccination  is a nationwide campaign targeted at girls aged nine to 14 years, aimed at potentially  preventing 71,000 deaths annually. The vaccination at an early age is highly important as it provides the best protection.

    The routine immunization services will also be available at the Primary Healthcare Centres across the 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas of the State during the HPV vaccination campaign. The vaccine is free, safe and highly effective.

    It should be noted that the flag-off earlier scheduled to be held on the 25th of September, 2023 was postponed for logistics reasons as informed by the Federal Ministry of Hea

  • Fed Govt, Gates Foundation sign $75m funding pact on immunisation

    The Federal Government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have announced a new innovative financing agreement.The agreement is aimed at strengthening both routine immunisation (RI) and broader primary healthcare (PHC) services.

    Under the agreement, the Gates Foundation will provide up to $15million per annum for five years to Nigeria for financing PHC. The incentive financing will be directly invested in Nigeria’s Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF), strengthening other PHC services for the poorest.

    The BHCPF implementation was formally rolled out on January 8, with critical PHC interventions for children, women and families in rural and underserved areas.

    In April last year, the Federal Government, led by the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, finalised its Nigeria Strategy for Immunisation and PHC System Strengthening, 2018-2028 (NSIPSS). The document outlined plans to spend $1.95 billion on immunisation services over 10years through the national budget and some World Bank loan financing. In June, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, committed to supporting the NSIPSS with extended donor financing as domestic resources scaled up. During this extended transition window, international donors, via Gavi, will provide Nigeria with $1 billion on top of the $1.95bn domestic commitment. Together these funds will cover procurement of vaccines, the lion share of the costs, as well as operational costs for routine and supplementary immunisation activities, and PHC system support.

    In spite of additional Gavi support and loan options, the NSIPSS financing strategy requires significant annual increases in funding for vaccines until the government assumes full responsibility after 2028.

    Speaking on the new agreement, Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, said there is no question that immunisation is an all-around ‘best buy’ for Nigeria, but “we still have limited resources”.

    On his part, Health Minister,  Prof. Isaac Adewole, noted that full implementation of the NSIPSS will reach millions of Nigerian children with vaccines and potentially save millions of lives.

    “With the NSIPSS, Nigerian government is committing to a long-term investment in its people and ensuring that children will have the vaccines they need for the next 10years and beyond,” said Country Director, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Paulin Basinga. “We know this isn’t easy given the many demands on Nigeria’s limited resources. So, we’re pleased to extend the health benefits of fulfilling this pledge even further, by supporting PHC for all of Nigeria’s children and families,” she added.

  • ‘Immunisation has strengthened Ogun healthcare’

    Wife of the Ogun State Governor, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun, has said the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) and Immunization Plus Days (IPDS) exercise has strengthened health care in the state.

    Mrs. Amosun spoke at the launch of the first round of the 2018 MNCHW and second round 2018 IPDs at Osiele Primary Health Centre, Osiele, Odeda Local Government Area.

    She said regular campaigns ensured progress in the realization of the children’s right to good health care and to the best start in their formative years, noting that the present administration desired to improve the people’s health.

    “We desire to improve the healthcare seeking behaviour of the whole family, especially pregnant women and caregivers of children between ages 0-59 months,” Mrs. Amosun said.

    Commissioner for Health Dr. Babatunde Ipaye noted that there were series of epidemic outbreaks last year but the state was not affected because of the consistent rounds of the MNCHW and IPDs which has helped to boost the children’s immunity.

    He urged mothers to take advantage of the programme, noting that some of the free services to be provided include routine immunization, de-worming, malnutrition testing, vitamin a supplementation, free counselling and HIV/AIDS testing.

  • Council boss advises mothers on immunisation 

    Chairman of Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State Frank Ilaboya has appealed to mothers and caregivers to ensure their children are immunised.

    Ilaboya spoke at the weekend in Sabongidda-Ora, while opening the first round of the national immunisation at the Michael Imoudu Comprehensive Health Centre.

    He noted that immunising children is the surest way of preventing most childhood-killer diseases.

    Ilaboya urged immunisation officers to ensure they get into the nooks and crannies of the council, saying he would monitor the exercise.

    The five-day exercise will end tomorrow.

     

  • ‘Participate in immunisation’

    Enugu State Traditional Rulers’ Council has appealed to its subjects to comply in the immunisation of children against measles.

    The Chairman, Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Enugu that the council directed monarchs to assist health officials to ensure 100 per cent compliance.

    NAN reports that the government is targeting 500,034 children between nine months and five years, from March 13 to 25.

    Agubuzu said the monarchs had been mobilised and directed that no child should be left out.

    He hailed Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for the exercise, saying it was unprecedented in the history of the state.

    “The attention paid to immunisation in the past was not of this magnitude. Besides, the governor has made provision for a hitch-free exercise.

    “Little wonder Governor Ugwuanyi has been adjudged the ‘Most Mother and Child Friendly Governor in the country,’’’ Agubuzu said.

  • ‘Nigeria loses 800,000 children due to lack of immunisation’

    ‘Nigeria loses 800,000 children due to lack of immunisation’

    The Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunisation ( GAVI ) on Thursday said no fewer than 800,000 unvaccinated children had died in Nigeria in the last five years.

    Dr Seth Berkley, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GAVI, made this known during a stakeholders meeting in Suleja, Niger.

    GAVI is a public-private global health partnership committed to increasing access to immunisation through provision of vaccines across the globe.

    Berkley who said a recent survey had revealed that Nigeria had only 30 per cent coverage of immunization added that the figure differed from what some health workers had always presented.

    The CEO said that children unnecessarily died because they were not vaccinated, pointing out that his organisation was working hard to strengthen routine immunisation in the country.

    He said that lack of children’s access to routine vaccination caused outbreak of diseases such as monkey-pox, Lassa fever, measles, meningitis and yellow fever.

    According to him, government and other stakeholders must work hand-in-hand to accelerate and strengthen routine immunisation.

    Berkley noted that traditional ruler could help in ensuring children access to vaccination because they were close to the people.

    The chief executive officer of GAVI decried non usage of vaccine being provided by his organisation for immunization in some quarters.

    “If we supply vaccines and people do not go to the health centres to take them, the essence of providing such will be defeated.” he said.

    Dr Faisal Shuaibthe, Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, said it was imperative for the country to do the right thing and ensure all her children were immunised.

    Shuaib said that how well leaders provided health care to their people determined the future of the children in such communities.

    He tasked local governments and traditional rulers to supervise and monitor the activities of primary health care facilities in their areas.

    The executive director disclosed that his agency had designed a template to monitor and evaluate immunisation quarterly to ensure improvement on current situation.

    He said the National Emergency Routine Immunisation Centre had been established to strengthen routine vaccination in the country.

    Reacting, the Emir of Suleja, Muhammad-Awwal Ibrahim, pledged commitment of traditional rulers in the state to tackle the challenges facing vaccination of children.

    Ibrahim said that immunisation must be taken seriously to prevent children from dying unnecessarily.

    “We, the traditional rulers have the passion to do what is expected of us to tackle our health challenges” he said.

    NAN

  • 654, 804 Kogi kids for immunisation against measles

    654, 804 Kogi kids for immunisation against measles

    No fewer than 654, 804 children aged between nine months and five years will be immunised during the March measles vaccination in Kogi, a World Health Organisation (WHO) consultant has said.

    Dr Muhammad Salihu, a National Measles Consultant to WHO, spoke with reporters in Lokoja yessterday. He said the exercise would last from March 1 to 13.

    The consultant said WHO had taken delivery of 720, 290 doses of vaccines required for the exercise.

    Salihu, who spoke at a one-day sensitisation programme for the media on the exercise, said it would hold simultaneously in all the 239 wards across the state.

    He said the exercise would be handled by 614 teams of vaccinators and that it would hold at places of worship, markets, palaces, schools and health facilities across the state.

    Also speaking, a facilitator, Dr Uzoma Ogbonna, said  the exercise would hold only in designated areas, adding that there was no resources to carry out house-to-house immunisation.

    “We are using this to complement the routine immuniaation.

    “Parents are advised not to wait; they should just walk down to the nearest health facility to immunise their children irrespective of previous immunisation,” he said.

    Ogbonna said the vaccinators had been instructed not to administer the vaccine on children above 10 years.

    The facilitator emphasised that the exercise was essentially for those within the age bracket of nine months and five years.

    Health Educator Acheku Yusuf urged journalists to join hands with the government to make the exercise a success.

    He said only measles vaccines would be administered during the exercise, calling on parents to take advantage of it to immunise their children.

  • WHO donates motorcycles, phones to kano to speed up immunisation

    WHO donates motorcycles, phones to kano to speed up immunisation

    The World Heath Organisation ( WHO ), has donated 72 motorcycles and 45 mobile phones worth millions of Naira to Kano state government to enhance surveillance activities on polio lmmunisation.

    WHO representative in Nigeria, Dr. Wondimagegnehu Alemu, who presented the items to Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje said it was in recognition of the proactive measures taken to enhance surveillance activities against the outbreak of diseases across the 44 Local Government areas of the state. 

    Alemu urged the state to increase the tempo, as the current vaccination rate is very low by working strategies with traditional rulers and other stakeholders on how to improve the immunisation coverage. 

    Governor Ganduje, described WHO’S contributions to health sector in the state as too enormous, as such, this has motivated the government to invest more on the sector. 

    In his remark, the state commissioner for health, Dr. Kabiru lbrahim Getso, said that apart from the motorcycles donated, WHO had budgeted  N1.5b for 2018 to support Kano in training and logistics on polio lmmunization.