Abuja, 12 May 2015- The World Health Organization Country Representative (WR), Dr Rui Gama Vaz has advised the government of Nigeria to consider sustainable funding options for immunization that promote equity and ensure the poor are not disproportionately burdened.

He gave the advice in his speech at a media roundtable in Abuja on 12 May, 2015, organized by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) to deliberate on the vaccine financing as part of events to seal  the 2015 Africa Vaccination Week.

Dr. Vaz who spoke on behalf of development partners, emphasized the importance of immunization financing as the bedrock for achieving progrmme objectives, enumerated the various funding options opened to Nigeria which allow poor people to access services even when they cannot pay; allows for transparency and self-sufficiency.

‘’Each nation must determine the volume of resources to devote to its immunization services—and where to find those resources. The amount of resources to be allocated depends on the population size and structure, incidence of each vaccine preventable disease, size of non-immunized age cohort, special demographic and geographic features, as well as availability of resources and competing social priorities” he observed..

The WR, who further noted that the country has made tremendous progress towards polio eradication and routine immunization, however warned that there are over 600,000 children in the eligible age cohort who have remained unimmunized in 2014 alone. This according to him will require concerted efforts on the part of government, partners, traditional / religious leaders and the media to ensure all children are reached with the required vaccines at the right place and time.

Dr Vaz   concluded by reiterating the commitment of all partners in ensuring that government is supported to have access to funds from the “various international health partnerships, provided with enough evidence to support advocacy efforts on vaccine financing and the monitoring on the impact of health resources on developmental goals”.

In his speech at the occasion the Executive Secretary of the NPHCDA Dr Ado Muhammad reiterated government’s commitment to immunization financing but however stressed that government cannot do it alone especially when new vaccines for Human Papilloma Virus, Rota, and Measles Rubella are expected to be introduced by the end of 2018. He therefore appealed to private sector, businesses, NGOs, CSOs and individuals to join the immunization partnership to ensure that Nigerian children are protected from vaccine preventable disease.

The meeting which discussed the various funding sources and option for immunization financing ended with a resolve from the media houses to begin media advocacy on vaccine financing. Journalists from the Nigerian Television Authority, Voice of Nigeria, Wazobia FM, Kiss Fm, Radio Nigeria, Leadership and Guardian Newspapers participated in the discussion.

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Technical contacts:

Ms Kulchumi Hammanyero: Tel: +234 803 632 7360; Email: hammanyerok [at] who.int (hammanyerok[at]who[dot]int)
Media contact:

Ms Charity Warigon; Tel: +234 810 221 0093; Email: warigonc [at] who.int (warigonc[at]who[dot]int)
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Below:

01. A cross section of participants at the Media Roundtable

02. Dr Rui Vaz delivering the speech on behalf of partners