Leadership (Abuja)
Winifred Ogbebo
21 October 2008
The European Union- Partnership to Re-inforce Immunisation Efficiency (EU- PRIME) is to spend N1.3 billion in the fight against polio in Nigeria.
At a media parley in Abuja, yesterday, the team leader, Dr Abba Zakari Umar, said that the fund would be used to improve immunisation infrastructure, including cold chain equipment, cold stores and health facilities renovation in some of the states where there were none.
He said, "most of these states we're working in do not have standard cold stores where these vaccines can be kept, for example, Abia and Kebbi States so we launched a work plan to construct cold stores and the equipment needed for them."
Umar, who disclosed that the current work plan is ending June 2009, said " part of the exit strategy in June 2009 is to build resource centres at the school of Technology in the six initial states we're working where personnel and manpower will be trained"
On the overall performance of EU- PRIME, he scored the body high even though the level of preparedness by states varied, he said.
Said he, " EU-PRIME has been able to talk the LGAs into owning the programme, so the communities have moved from passive state to active state and we've also helped in the development of the ward system which was not there before"
However, Mrs Clara Kagondu has called for an increase in routine immunisation.
She said, Nigeria continues to have a resurgence of wild polio virus of over 722 confirmed cases. "Routine immunisation has to be increased, that is why we are still having resurgence of wild polio virus and outbreaks in measles etc"
She also disclosed that there are a lot of disparities in the polio virus count among the states.
"Only 15 states have reached 70%, seven states 60%, others lower.
At the local government areas, the difference is much"
Similarly, Mr Felix Akhibi of UNICEF has called on policy makers to develop active support for polio immunisation and for a massive integrated approach to tackle wild polio virus in the country.
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