Muhammad Garba
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) through GAVI funded project has spent over N4 billion to straighten immunization coverage and effective primary healthcare services in Jigawa state.
Speaking at the closing off and handing over ceremony of the program, Dr. Shyam Sharan Pathak, Chief of Health, UNICEF Nigeria said, the project which commenced in 2020 after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the state government has recorded significant achievement which all partners are proud of.
He noted that the significant milestones achieved through this program are a testament to solid partnership and commitment for every child, youth, and mother in Jigawa state and across the country.
Dr. Shyam, however, commended the Jigawa state government for its sustainable commitment to funding public healthcare services and also the implementation of the project’s MOUs that help save lives and also serve as a model for sustainable improvement of public healthcare service delivery.
Dr. Shyam, on behalf of UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, Ms. Cristian Munduate extended the UNICEF appreciation to GAVI, the vaccine alliance, for their support to scale up PHC services to improve routine immunization coverage and deliver quality essential health services.
He also advocates for more investment and oversight visits to improve and sustain current results, retain health workers, maintain equipment, sustain mechanisms and operations of outreach services, and strengthen documentation and data for decision-making.
Speaking at the occasion held in Dutse Government House, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Abdullahi Kainuwa stated that, the areas of collaboration with the GAVI Project, are strengthening governance, leadership, supply chain, demand creation, human resources and, Data quality.
According to the commissioner under the MOUs, 200 PHCs were renovated and upgraded, and 29,530 fewer privileges were enrolled in social insurance across 6 local government areas.
12,000 volunteer Health ambassadors (Jakadan Lafiya) were mobilized from across the 27 local governments for demand generation and Health information.
Vehicles and solar-powered refrigerators were supplied to strengthen the Immunization cold chain, special scheme for emergency transportation of pregnant women to the hospital was introduced under which over 4,000 were transported and delivered with the support of Skill birth attended with zero record of life lost.
“As a result of this collaborated effort, immunization coverage improved to over 30% in 2017 to 90% in 2024, Reduction in Under-5 mortality rate from 213 to 161 per 1000 live births between 2018 and 2023, Data generation improved significantly, manpower development and the general public primary healthcare service delivery in the state,” the Commissioner revealed.
In his response, the Jigawa State Governor, Malam Umar Namadi, thanked UNICEF, GAVI Project, WHO, and other partners for their collaborative efforts that strengthen Jigawa state public healthcare services delivery and save many lives from unnecessary death.
The Governor represented by his Deputy promised to use all available resources to sustain the gain and build on from where GAVI stopped.
He also reiterated his commitment to continue collaborating with partners and all stakeholders to ensure no life lost because of medical bills or non-access to basic healthcare services in the state.
