Nigerian Youth Tasks FG On Immunization Financing
As the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI) begins its five year exit plan from vaccine financing support for the country, youths in the country has tasked the Federal government to develop a sustainable domestic plan.
The call was made in a statement at the end of a two-day Routine Immunization Youth Champions retreat organized by Community Health and Research Initiative (CHR) through Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH).
The youths commended the recently approved $125m World Bank loan to finance 2017 Polio Eradication Program, and other Routine Immunization Vaccines, but stressed the need for government’s ownership of immunization financing, without dependence on loans and donors’ support.
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The youths, representing a coalition of CHR-PACFaH Civil Society Organistions from Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano Niger also applauded the Federal Government on the on-going anti-crusade and advised that some of the recovered monies should be used to fund pressing health issues in the country, including immunization and Strengthening of Primary Health Care Centers,(PHCs).
The youths also advised government to increase budgetary allocation to immunization during the Gavi transition period to bridge possible funding gaps, as well as innovative financing through taxes.
Traditional and religious leaders were urged to effectively use their positions to actively participate in immunization advocacy to government at all levels by ensuring community involvement.
On the recently signed Addis Declaration on Immunization Financing by 54 African Ministers of Health during the 2016 Ministerial Conference on Immunization in Addis Ababa, recently endorsed by African Heads of States at the 70th World Health Assembly, the youths encouraged the government of Nigeria and stakeholders to take responsibility and ensure full implementation of each recommendation, as contained in the Declaration.
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The youths who are members of Kaduna State Accountability Mechanism for MNCH (KADMAM), Bauchi State Accountability Mechanism for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (BASAM), Accountability Mechanism for Maternal Newborn and Child Health in Kano State (AMMKaS), Civil Society on Maternal Newborn and Child Health in Niger State (COMiN), and TrackHealth National Accountability Mechanism (T-NAM) also saw the need for Nigeria to create an immunization trust fund.
The youth coalition trained by CHR-PACFaH to support immunization financing advocacy in Nigeria, further stressed that “as youths, the future of our country is now, and every youth must realize that and ensure funding for immunization on Nigerian Children is task that must be done.”
While calling on the government to develop an achievable plan for sustainable immunization financing, and save Nigerian children the dilemma of dying from preventable causes, and reversal of the achievements recorded so far in immunization.
