Updated: Meningitis: Health minister approves stocking vaccines against future epidemics

… advocates immunization trust fund

 

Isaac Adewole, Nigeria’s health minister has approved that health practitioners in the country develop facilities to stock vaccines against future epidemics.

This approval was conveyed today at an emergency meeting held in Kaduna by the governors, traditional leaders and commissioners of health of Northern Nigeria on Meningitis.

Adewole, in his presentation said there is a strong need to strengthen health systems through Primary Health Care (PHC) revitalisation and sustainable financing.

“Part of our suggestion is to have an immunisation trust fund. For too long, we have been immunising Nigerians using donations, we must take responsibility.”

“We need to put more money in health. Health is an investment and when we put money in health, we can have a healthcare workforce that can contribute to the economy.

The minster further said the as Nigeria is moving from 2017-2022, it will need to put more resources in vaccine.

“Nigeria needs to take up funding of vaccine, so we really need to put more resources to ensure they fund vaccine we must look at local production of vaccines in our country and take charge of our destiny.

“We need resource because health is an investment, it will contribute to the prosperity in the country and making the health system robust and create a living environment.”

Adewole however said that there is a need to prioritise vaccination across different segments as it does not have resources to cover the entire country.

“Let us cover states that are most at risk and overtime we will cover the other states that are less at risk,” he said.

Chikwe Ihekweazu the chief executive officer/ National Coordinator of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control in an update on the spread of Meningitis C, said they faced initial challenges with skills to collect CSF and testing and there was shortage of T.I media of specimen transportation and also shortage of pastorex for rapid testing.

“If we waste 1 day or 2 days more of our people will die that’s why we need to connect the dots. All of this can only work with a strong primary health system, without this, there is a little with can do at the Federal level,” Ihekweazu said.

He further called for increase in the number of doctors available and to ensure logistics and that there is at least 1 lab in the state capital and also

Sani-Gwarzo, chief epidemiologist in his presentation said proactive measures are required to address all the epidemically significant NM Group in combination.

“It is more expensive but highly achievable in union with other affected countries and stakeholders,” he said.

 

 

Details later