Bago lauds UNICEF, GAVI for healthcare efforts in Niger

Governor Muhammad Bago of Niger State has lauded the giant strides of UNICEF and GAVI FOUNDATION for their unwavering support of the health care needs of the people of the state, particularly the less privileged.

Bago made the commendation when he received a delegation from UNICEF, the Global Alliance for Vaccine Immunization (GAVI), and the WHO, who were at the Niger State Governor’s Lodge, Abuja, for a closeout ceremony for the GAVI-supported primary health care system strengthening project in Niger State on Monday, 27th January 2025.

The governor explained that his administration has recorded landmark successes in the closeout program of the Niger State, UNICEF, and GAVI FOUNDATION-supported primary health care across the nooks and crannies of the state, promising that government efforts are geared towards sustaining the achievements of the partners.

Bago maintained that, so far, necessary modalities have been put in place to launch digital medicine in the next six months as a means of dispensing medicine with drones to less privileged people living in riverine communities as well as places that are cut off from civilization.

He enumerated the numerous achievements of UNICEF and GAVI FOUNDATION during the period under review, including the reduction of under-5 mortality from 98/1000 cases to 49/1000 in 2018, a reduction in the mortality rate from 57/1000 to 3/1000 live births, and a reduction in neonatal mortality from 29/1000 to 22/1000, among others.

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The governor hinted that the state had also recorded an increase in ANC uptake by 35 per cent, enrolling 355,804 women in 2024 compared to 232,495 for the same period in 2022, adding that 2,857 women had deliveries conducted by skilled birth attendants in 2024, as against 36,251 in 2022, as well as achieving a 5 per cent increase in fully immunized children from 23.5 per cent in 2018 to 28.3 percent in 2024.

Governor Bago had earlier reiterated his administration’s willingness to continue with childbirth registration in line with the goals and objectives of UNICEF’s program.

In his keynote address, the Chief of Child Protection at UNICEF, Ibrahim Sesay, described the birth registration programme as fundamental to every child, which is why 100 per cent birth registration was achieved in 2024 with the registration of over 400,000 children under the age of 5.

He also noted that in 2025, newborn children will be registered and given birth certificates integrated with National Identity Numbers (NIN).

In his submission, the Chief of Health at UNICEF Nigeria, Dr Shyam Pathak, admitted that the three-year programme in Niger State has made a significant impact in reducing mortality and morbidity, including enhanced access to quality health services for the vulnerable.

Highlights of the meeting included the symbolic presentation of the UNICEF award to Bago for his contributions to the health sector, especially at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.

In the same vein, the Niger State Ministry of Primary Health Care held the official closeout/handover ceremony of the UNICEF, GAVI-supported primary health care system strengthening MOU on Tuesday, 28th January 2025, at the Idris Legbo Kutigi International Conference Center, Minna.

The Commissioner, Ministry of Primary Health Care, Dr. Ibrahim Dangana, highlighted that the MOU covered a number of different areas, including leadership and governance, service delivery, vaccine chain, human resources for health (HRS), community mobilization, sensitization, advocacy, data management, monitoring, evaluation, and health financing in order to achieve universal health coverage.

Dr. Dangana stated, “In the course of the MOU, we have worked with a number of partners, including the State Contributory Insurance Scheme, the Ministry of Secondary and Tertiary Health, the Niger State Water and Sanitation Agency, the National Orientation Agency (NOA), the Ministry of Local Government Affairs, and many others,” and he expressed delight over the support and cooperation from the ministries and agencies.”

The Commissioner stated that the signing of the MOU was one of the most significant partnerships the state has witnessed, saying that a long time ago, Niger State had signed an MOU with the Bill & Melinda Foundation. However, the GAVI MOU had, by far, had a lot of impact.

“With the MOU, we have been able to reach more children with life-saving essential vaccines for immunization, pointing out that at the start of the MOU, the state had more than 7,000 children who had never received a single dose of immunization, and at the close of the MOU, we have been able to reach every single one of those children,” Dr. Dangana noted.

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Dr Ibrahim Ahmed also stressed that in the spirit of the MOU, more women are coming to the facilities to have safe deliveries in the hands of skilled birth attendants, and the government has also closed some gaps in the health care system, with no fewer than 396 nurses and midwives continuing to provide essential services to ensure that women don’t die in primary health care centres.

He disclosed that more women are willingly taking family planning services to space their families, have children when they desire, and not out of accident.

The Commissioner further revealed that, for the first time in the long history of the state, the present administration, under the dynamic leadership of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, is making remarkable investments in the health care system.

Highlights of the event included a panel discussion by NiCare Executive Secretary, the Ministry of Primary Health Care (DDCI), Civil Society Organizations, health care workers, beneficiaries, community leaders, achievements, challenges and lessons learned, feedback/responses from beneficiaries, mothers, fathers, and adolescents.

There were separate goodwill messages from the partners, as well as site visits to Primary Health Care, Old Airport, Chanchaga Local Government, Maitumbi Community, Bosso Local Government, the state central medical facility, and the cold store.