Govt Bureaucracy Fueling Rate Of Unvaccinated Children In Nigeria – Experts
By Alice Etuka, Abuja
The Vaccine Network for Disease Control (VNDC) has blamed the high rate of unvaccinated children (zero-dose children) on the bottlenecks involved in the release of funds for immunisation.
The Head of Programmes of VNDC, Chika Nwankwo stated this on Tuesday, at a Capacity Building Workshop on Media Advocacy for Vaccination Financing held in Abuja.
Nwankwo decried the late release of Domestic Resource Mobilisation for immunisation in the country adding that that of 2022 was not released until 2023 and same applied to that of 2023.
She informed that even though the immunization budget was increased by 100% (from 69 billion naira to 137 billion naira) this year, only 25% of it had been released.
She however appreciated the current government for prompt release and intentional involvement in immunisation financing.
“But looking forward in this project, we are expecting a collaboration with the media. Are there strategies to financing release to be seamless and to be timely?
“When you look at CSOs scorecard, though in 2024, we have released 25%, but when you look at it in the scorecard, it is still red. More needs to be done, can the remaining 75% be released earlier in the year, like January, February?”, she asked.
The Head of Programmes disclosed that the process of release of funds for immunisation were 27 steps meanwhile that of Family planning and others were less, a situation she said gave rise to lapses in the nation’s immunisation program:
“The fact that the process of release is up to 27 steps, it is important for us to find a way to shorten the steps, can it be reduced to 10 steps, are there certain ways to shrink some of those things and put them together so as you are moving
“I know that part of the strategy is to make sure that these funds are not embezzled but we can actually make the system effective.
“Our goal is for the 2024 funds to be released on time and for 2025 own to be released fully within the year, not carried over to the next.
“Before funds for immunization are released, there are 27 steps it would have to scale through; four with the NPHCDA, three with the Federal Ministry of Health and 20 with the Federal Ministry of Finance”.
Concluding, she said the delay was taking a toll on the country’s children as Nigeria still accounts for the highest number of unvaccinated children globally.
On her part, Media Consultant, Rachael Abujah said there was need for the media to amplify the message so that no child is left behind:
“We need to amplify our messages to ensure that no child is left behind. That children are vaccinated no matter where they are, because we have a lot of them in hard to reach areas. There are places in Mambila plateau, in taraba state, also in bayelsa state, because of the riverine area where vaccines don’t get to them.
“I think it’s time to raise our voices, amplify our messages through reportage, investigative reporting, human angle stories just to ensure that we get this message to the people in authority to ensure this money is paid on time and no child is left behind”, she said.
The “Partnership to Reach Zero Dose Children” (PREACH) is an initiative of the Vaccine Network for Disease Control geared towards sustaining and upscaling the government’s immunisation co- financing responsibility as well as ensuring that the state of primary healthcare no longer poses a limitation in reaching high zero- dose communities with life saving vaccines.
