Gavi Pledges Continued Support to Nigeria

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunisation (Gavi) has pledged its continued support to Nigeria on routine immunisation, vaccine-preventable diseases and Primary Heathcare in general.

The Managing Director, Country Programmes of Gavi in Geneva, Ms Hind Khatib Othman, gave this assurance during an engagement with the top management of the National Primary Heathcare Development Agency in Abuja.

The GAVI MD acknowledged the pool of experts and great strengths available in the Agency and gave assurance of GAVIs continued collaboration to make the agency stronger, credible and accountable.

In a short presentation to the Gavi team, the Executive Director, National Primary Heathcare Development Agency, Dr. Faisal Shuaib highlighted his 4 –point agenda to restore stakeholders’ confidence in the agency and to change the Primary healthcare landscape in Nigeria.

The agenda include‎ strengthening governance and accountability, ‎closing out on polio, strengthening of routine immunisation and supply chain and PHC revitalisation.

He emphasised the need to reposition the agency for actualisation of efficient and effective delivery of its mandate which he has demonstrated by the engagement of two globally acclaimed firms; McKinsey and KPMG.

Faisal assured the GAVI team that necessary structures and mechanism have been put in place to block possible financial loopholes and prevent mismanagement of resources in the agency.