The Federal Government has announced that the adoption of a needle-free injection system for immunization could save Nigeria $49.51 million over the next five years, while also boosting routine immunization coverage across the country.
The Tropis ID Needle-Free Injection System (NFIS) was introduced in Oyo and Kano states from October 2022 to July 2024, through a collaborative effort between the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Sydani Group, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and Pharmajet.
Rufai Garba, Director of Disease Control and Immunization at NPHCDA speaking at the dissemination meeting of the TROPIP Project in Abuja on Friday, highlighted the significant financial benefits of transitioning to needle-free delivery of the fractional Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine (fIPV).
He noted, “Switching to needle-free delivered fIPV could save Nigeria’s immunization program approximately $49.51 million over a five-year period. All intervention scenarios demonstrate cost savings compared to the standard of care (SoC), with incremental savings ranging from $0.07 to $1.00, resulting in up to 47% total immunization cost savings.”
Garba explained that when evaluating the impact of Intradermal Needle-Free Delivery on polio routine immunization in Kano and Oyo states, the study showed that the IPV2 coverage rate was 11.2% higher with Tropis compared to traditional needle and syringe methods.
He added, “The odds of receiving two doses of IPV are doubled when Tropis is used.”
Paul Labarre, Vice President of Global Business Development at Pharmajet, confirmed the positive outcomes of the study.
“The results indicate that Tropis is effective in increasing immunization coverage, reducing program costs, and is scalable for routine immunization use.”
“Caregivers, healthcare workers, and stakeholders found the needle-free system highly acceptable and preferred it over the standard of care. The needle-free system also saved time, with no device malfunctions recorded during the six-month study period,” he added.
In his remarks, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, represented by his special assistant, Emmanuel Odu, commended the innovation and the positive impact it could have on Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Sinu Kurian, Director Health Population and Nutrition Office at USAID/Nigeria said the intervention, aims to provide essential evidence on the acceptability, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness of using the Tropis device for fractional IPV doses.
“The study’s findings, revealed today, will guide Nigeria’s potential adoption of this innovative vaccine delivery nationwide. We rely on our partners to scale up this promising intervention and improve Nigeria’s polio immunization efforts,” Kurian added.
While stating USAID’s commitment to support Nigeria in strengthening its healthcare system, she noted that the innovation will influence both Nigeria’s national strategies and global polio eradication efforts.
As the world nears polio eradication, Nigeria’s innovative approach offers hope in tackling the final challenges. “We look forward to discussions and the next steps in our journey toward a polio-free Nigeria,” Kurian concluded
