Kano Releases N344m as Counterpart Funding for Polio Immunisation

Kano state government has released the sum of N344, 671, 368 million as part counterpart funding in fulfillment of the tripartite agreement with Dangote Foundation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the 2018 routine immunization against poliomyelitis.

Briefing Reporters on Tuesday at the outcome of the weekly executive meeting, the state Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba disclosed that Kano state Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje remain committed to ensure that children under the age of five are fully immunized against polio.

According to him, “for the past three years, Kano has not recorded any outbreak of polio, and we want to continue to sustain this record. The state government is investing hugely on health. You are aware that the health sector is allocated over 13 per cent of the 2018 budget.”

Garba also recalled that, “just recently, during a video teleconference for the 2017 health goals and objectives with Dangote Foundation and Bill and Melinda gates Foundation, the two partners commended the state government for the success recorded so far in the fight against diseases like polio, tuberculosis, eradication of HIV/AIDS, malaria, measles and other child killer diseases.”

Garba also said that the Council approved the release of over N22 million to procure two million assorted seedlings to checkmate desertification.

He said the Council also approved the sum of N417, 310, 519 to the Ministry of Works for the constructions of roads and drainages in Ganduje Township in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area, adding that the sum of over N32 was approved to the same ministry for the construction of low-cost housing estates in Ganduje town.

According to him, the sum of N126, 710, 400 million was approved to the office of Secretary to the State Government (SSG) to offset the 2016/2017/2018 tuition fees and allowances of students of Kano state origin on scholarship at Mansoura University in Egypt.

“I must emphasize that Governor Ganduje is passionate on the welfare of our students studying abroad. This is why he has never relented in ensuring that they have all the resources they need to concentrate on their studies.

“I was in Sudan two weeks ago with the Executive Secretary of the State Scholarship Board to pay the 2018 tuition fees and allowances of our students studying in that country. By the grace of God, I will soon be in Egypt to conclude the payment of our students there,” he stated.

. “The preventive mass campaign has targeted to vaccinate between 09 months to 45 years of age by 2026 will be conducted in phases based on the assessment conducted in 2017.”

Braka described the planned campaigns scheduled to start as part of the preventive measures to halt the spread and also protect the people.

“To ensure that all the population in Nigeria is protected and ultimately, all the states would have been vaccinated before 2026,” she added.

She called on all the people in this bracket age group to come out in large numbers and be vaccinated and protected from this disease.

Also speaking, the Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Faisal Shuaib, said that the global non availability of Yellow Fever vaccines resulted in the plan to phase the campaign for the next nine years.

Shuaib however, stressed that this is based on availability of vaccines. “Plans for preventive campaign annually depending on global vaccine availability.”

He noted that all the states will be vaccinated in phases and a tentative plan to that effect has been approved by development partners.