The Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Faisal Shuaib has disclosed that the country recorded an increased uptake in Routine Immunisations despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dr. Shuaib made the disclosure in Abuja on Thursday, March 10, 2022 during the Agency’s Get Together Party.
TheFact Nigeria gathered that the country recorded outbreaks of Vaccine Derived Polio, in spite of the increased Routine Immunisation record.
Shuaib, who lauded his staff’s efforts in scaling up the covid-19 vaccination program, added that the National Assembly did not believe they could achieve that feat.
He said: “When Covid-19 hit and we started the vaccination programme, and I showed you that one of the best point was when we were invited to the National Assembly and a number of Legislators told me to my face that NPHCDA does not have the capacity to deliver COVID-19 vaccination.
“Despite all of the examples that I gave about how well we worked together to eradicate wild polio virus. They said ‘no, this one is different’.
“Do I need to go back to the National Assembly to show them the amazing things that you guys have done?”, the NPHCDA Boss asked.
He continued: “Nobody gave us a chance to deliver on COVID-19. Nobody gave us a chance to do best COVID-19 programme all across Africa.
“I know that our number might not be showing that we are doing so well, but it is not how well you start but how well you finish and we will finish and will be the best programme in the whole of Africa.
“We are the generation of Nigerians that will make the difference and making that difference start with you and start with compensating you for the hard work that you have been putting across the years.
“Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, our routine immunization still continued to rise from 33% to 71% and 63% and we will keep going”, Shuaib said.
