Make Meningitis Vaccines Free, Senate Urges Health Ministry
The Nigerian Senate, on Tuesday, urged the Ministry of Health and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to make meningitis vaccinations free in public healthcare facilities across the country.
The resolution followed a motion sponsored by Senator Gbenga Ashafa and 16 other Senators, titled: “Outbreak of Meningitis and the Urgent Need to Curb its Spread & Stop Further Deaths”.
It was gathered that the vaccine is currently being administered at N5,000 in public healthcare centres and N15,000 in private hospitals.
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The outbreak of Cerebrospinal Meningitis had spread to states to include Zamfara state which is the worst hit state, the Federal Capital Territory, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and Niger.
The Senate stressed the need for an increase in the budget of the Federal Ministry of Health in order to ensure that the Ministry and its parastatals are able to better fund healthcare-related activities in the country.
The Senators also resolved that meningitis vaccinations should be made free across the country, citing the need for agencies of the federal government to continue to collaborate with the World Health Organization and UNICEF to make the scarce inoculations against meningitis readily available.
