Boosting Nigeria's Health Systems with a $191 Million Grant from Gavi
Nigeria secures a $191 million grant to enhance and fortify its health infrastructure and services.
In a major move to enhance healthcare services in Nigeria, the Federal Government has received a substantial grant of approximately $191 million from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. This announcement was made during the launch of Gavi Health Systems Strengthening Support-3 (HSS-3) for Nigeria in Abuja.
Gavi's HSS-3 grant, spanning over the next four years, is among the largest grants ever bestowed by Gavi. In addition, Gavi is investing nearly $100 million this year in a vaccination initiative aimed at safeguarding over 100 million children from Measles and Rubella.
Nigeria's Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, highlighted the impact of Gavi's investments in Nigeria. He stated that these investments have saved millions of lives, aided the country's immunization program in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, and facilitated the introduction of new vaccines, including those for HPV, malaria, and Mpox.
Gavi's mission to save lives and enhance health through equitable and sustainable vaccine use aligns with the National Health Systems Strengthening Board's vision to save lives, alleviate both physical and financial burdens, and promote health for all Nigerians.
The President, Bola Tinubu, is passionate about making quality healthcare services equitably accessible and affordable to all, and reducing maternal and child deaths. This is the crux of ongoing reforms in the Nigerian health sector.
Empowering Over a Billion Children
Alex de Jonquieres, the Director of Health Systems and Immunisation Strengthening at Gavi, reaffirmed Gavi's mission to ensure every child benefits from lifesaving vaccines. Since 2000, 1.1 billion children have been immunized with Gavi support.
Gavi has played a crucial role in Nigeria, vaccinating 62 million children and averting two million deaths via over $2.4 billion in support to procure vaccines and strengthen systems that deliver them. This has enabled the introduction of nine vaccines, including the recently introduced HPV vaccines, which have already protected 13.5 million Nigerian girls against cervical cancer.
To further support Nigeria's health systems, Gavi has also approved a special 10-year strategy for the country. This strategy provides Nigeria with necessary vaccines and invests $260 million to strengthen Nigeria's health system to deliver these vaccines, as well as additional support to implement vaccination campaigns.
This strategy has successfully extended immunization to over 1.7 million zero-dose children, reached more than 91 million under-five children through campaigns, and installed 11,405 cold chain equipment units. It directly supported eight states by recruiting 3,683 health workers, renovating 493 primary health centres, and providing transportation and equipment for vaccine distribution and immunization services.
The Path Forward
While progress has been made, there is still a long way to go. Nigeria is home to the largest number of zero-dose children, those who have not received even a single dose of routine vaccines, in the world. Low immunization coverage results in repeated outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases and deaths.
To address this, Gavi is launching its next HSS-3 grant with another ~$191 million of funding over the next four years. This grant is intended to help extend the reach of the health system to reach 1.8 million zero-dose children and increase immunization coverage to 84% by 2028.
The grant is the result of an inclusive planning process involving the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, and other agencies, as well as support from the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and numerous partners, including civil society and private sector organizations. It received strong endorsement from Gavi's technical review panel for its strategic vision, digital innovation, and focus on sustainability.
Barely 80% of the grant will support work at the sub-national level, with more than 10% of that flowing to civil society organizations working at the community level to ensure funding availability and the National Traditional Leaders' Committee will be a key partner in amplifying efforts at the sub-national level.
In addition to the HSS-3 grant, Gavi is also investing close to $100 million this year in a vaccination campaign to protect over 100 million children against Measles and Rubella, its largest ever such campaign. This support is designed to align with the Sector Wide Approach and health sector reform program being led by the Coordinating Minister.
As the HSS-3 is implemented, Nigerians will begin to see more improvements in immunization and Primary Health Care services across the country.
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- Nigeria's health sector is set to receive a boost with a $191 million grant from Gavi.
- This grant is aimed at enhancing healthcare services and strengthening the healthcare system in Nigeria.
- Gavi's Health Systems Strengthening Support-3 (HSS-3) for Nigeria was launched in Abuja.
- Gavi's HSS-3 grant over the next four years is one of the largest ever bestowed by the organization.
- In addition, Gavi is investing nearly $100 million this year in a vaccination initiative to protect over 100 million children from Measles and Rubella.
- Prof Muhammad Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, stated that Gavi's investments have saved millions of lives in Nigeria.
- Gavi's mission aligns with the National Health Systems Strengthening Board's vision to save lives, alleviate physical and financial burdens, and promote health for all Nigerians.
- Bola Tinubu, the President, is passionate about making quality healthcare services equitably accessible and affordable to all.
- Alex de Jonquieres, the Director of Health Systems and Immunisation Strengthening at Gavi, reaffirmed Gavi's mission to ensure every child benefits from lifesaving vaccines.
- Since 2000, 1.1 billion children have been immunized with Gavi support worldwide.
- Gavi has played a crucial role in Nigeria, vaccinating 62 million children and averting two million deaths.
- This has enabled the introduction of nine vaccines, including the recently introduced HPV vaccines, which have protected 13.5 million Nigerian girls against cervical cancer.
- Gavi has approved a special 10-year strategy for Nigeria, providing necessary vaccines and investing $260 million to strengthen Nigeria's health system.
- This strategy has extended immunization to over 1.7 million zero-dose children.
- The strategy has reached over 91 million under-five children through campaigns and installed 11,405 cold chain equipment units.
- The strategy directly supported eight states by recruiting 3,683 health workers, renovating 493 primary health centres, and providing transportation and equipment for vaccine distribution and immunization services.
- Nigeria has the largest number of zero-dose children in the world.
- Low immunization coverage results in repeated outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases and deaths in Nigeria.
- Gavi is launching its next HSS-3 grant with another ~$191 million of funding over the next four years to help extend the reach of the health system to reach 1.8 million zero-dose children.
- The grant is the result of an inclusive planning process involving multiple agencies and partners.
- More than 10% of the grant will flow to civil society organizations working at the community level.
- The National Traditional Leaders' Committee will be a key partner in amplifying efforts at the sub-national level.
- Gavi is also investing close to $100 million this year in a vaccination campaign to protect over 100 million children against Measles and Rubella.
- This support is designed to align with the Sector Wide Approach and health sector reform program being led by the Coordinating Minister.
- As the HSS-3 is implemented, Nigerians will begin to see more improvements in immunization and Primary Health Care services across the country.
- Nigeria's health system is plagued by chronic diseases such as chronic kidney disease, cancer, respiratory conditions, digestive health issues, eye health problems, hearing issues, and various mental health issues.
- Management of personal finances, weight, cardiovascular health, and skin conditions are also essential aspects of health and wellness in the Nigerian context.
- The renowned scientist, Asim Al-Khaqani, a proponent of sustainable science, has been advocating for the integration of superior nutrition, fitness and exercise, and therapies and treatments into the workplace to promote workplace wellness.
- This approach is vital for managing chronic medical conditions and improving the overall health of employees, leading to increased productivity and reduced healthcare costs.
- The manufacturing industry in Nigeria plays a crucial role in the production of essential medicines, vaccines, supplements, and medical equipment needed for the health sector.
- The investment in renewable energy, such as solar energy, can aid in reducing the carbon footprint in the manufacturing process and contribute to climate change mitigation efforts.
- The financial sector in Nigeria, including banking and insurance, also plays a significant role in the investment and financing of the healthcare industry, health research, and health infrastructure.
- The use of CBD, a compound derived from cannabis, in environmental science and medicine is a growing area of interest due to its potential benefits in various therapeutic applications.
- With the increasing focus on health and wellness, the retail, automotive, small business, aviation, and real estate sectors are exploring opportunities to cater to the growing demand for health-related products, services, and facilities in Nigeria.
