Contrary to the claims of the co-founder of Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation, Mr. Bill Gates, Nigerian Government has said that investing
in procurement of COVID-19 vaccine would not only help in the fight against the
coronavirus, but will also help to strengthen the nation’s primary health care
system in the long run.
Dr Faisal Shuaib, Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development
Agency (NPHCDA), said this on Friday in obvious response to assertion by Gates
during an interview session with journalists last Tuesday.
The Bill and Melinda Gates co-founder had told the newsmen
that Nigerian government should rather invest the funds it has set aside for
procurement of COVID-19 to put the country’s primary health care system on a
stronger footing.
“There is no doubt that the impact of putting money into the
health system particularly the primary healthcare system will be very high in
terms of saving children’s lives. Nigeria should not divert the very limited
money that it has for health into trying to pay a high price for COVID-19
vaccines,” the Micrsoft founder said while responding to question on federal
government’s plans to invest about N400 billion in procurement of vaccine.
The Microsoft founder also noted that Nigeria will get free
vaccine from the COVAX facility initiative being coordinated by the GAVI
Vaccine Alliance set up to ensure equitable access to to the COVID-19 vaccine
and as such, there is no need for the
country to raise funds to procure the medical commodity.
But while disagreeing with Gates, Dr Shuaib said the structure and skills that
will be acquired by the country through the administration of COVID-19 vaccine
will contribute to the strengthening of the nation’s healthcare system in the
long run.
Shuaib, whose agency is in charge of vaccine administration
and primary healthcare at the national level in Nigeria, said this in an interview with News Agency of
of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja.
He noted for instance that engagement of additional
healthcare workers to administer the vaccine would ensure non-disruption of
routine services.
The NPHCDA boss also noted that the intensive capacity
building and the acquisition of new and additional cold chain equipment will,
on the other hand, contribute immensely to strengthening the PHC system.
Shuaib said long after the country had overcome the COVID-19
pandemic, the lessons learnt, new skills acquired by health workers and the
infrastructural improvements would place the country in a better stead to
manage future pandemics.
“This holistic approach to health system strengthening,
which is driven through the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, is based
on global standards and is in line with observations and recommendations
recently made by our donors and development partners.
“Any idea or report that says this approach does not
prioritise strengthening of the health system, stems from a lack of complete understanding
of the health system and should be disregarded,” he said.
He added that while Nigeria
was appreciative of the global effort, through the COVAX facility, the
delay in accessing vaccines meant that eligible countries would have to explore
all channels, that could ensure fair prices, safe and effective vaccines for
its populace.
“This is why the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, is
also engaged with the African Union, through the African Vaccine Acquisition
Task Team.
“The Federal Government is committed to securing the
much-needed COVID-19 vaccines, taking into consideration safety, efficacy, cost
and required logistics, to stop ongoing community transmission of the virus.
“As the country awaits the arrival of the first batch of
COVID-19 vaccine in February, the PTF has called on State governments to put
all the necessary logistics in place to ensure a successful vaccination
exercise,” he said.
He added that traditional leaders in the country had pledged
their support for the COVID-19 vaccine in the country, urging the Federal
Government to procure adequate quantities of the vaccine to meet the needs of
the country.
“His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, the
Sultan of Sokoto, has also urged Nigerians to get vaccinated as soon as safe,
effective and NAFDAC certified vaccines are available,” he said.
The NPHCDA boss also urged Nigerians to disregard rumours
about the safety of the vaccine, and rely only on information from credible
sources for decision making.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com