As one of the plans to ensure that Nigeria secures a World Health Organisation (WHO) polio-free certification by 2017, the European Union Support to Immunisation Governance in Nigeria (EU-SIGN) has committed N4 billion to immunisation activities in Nigeria for 2015.
According to the officials, the funding covers three categories of programmes operation guidelines.
The funding is expected to cover a period of four years to work with the State Technical Assistance, STAs, with the states and with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) to plan how to strengthen immunisation, strengthening the cold chain, the health facilities and to build capacity.
Aminata Sidibe who is the Contracting Advisor and Procurement Expert for the EU-SIGN said at a Bi-annual Review Meeting of 23 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, that the scheme was aimed at helping the country end polio and other related diseases; help obtain the WHO certification on polio and also assist in containing other vaccine-preventable diseases in the country.
Sidibe said: “The EU is committing 150 million euros into the programme.”
Director of CONSEIL SANTE, an organisation through which the EU funds the SIGN programme in Nigeria, Anna McAthur, said: “The EU-SIGN actually came in at real good time for Nigeria because we’ve just got to the elimination of polio, and we are working towards eradication of polio.”
“Government has set up state primary health care agencies and has advisory body in each state. It is good for Nigeria to strengthen its primary health care agencies and also strengthen its immunisation which will help to make polio eradication in Nigeria a success,” McAthur said.
Director of Department of Logistics and Health Commodities at National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Mustapha Zubair Mahmud, noted: “We must do all we can to maintain a polio-free country up to 2017 so that we are certified free of polio.
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