Posted on: Sat 17-06-2023

The World Health Organisation Country Representative to Nigeria, Walter Mulombo, on Friday said Nigeria was in dire need of vaccines to close the gap of zero-dose children.

This was as he called for collaboration to strengthen the capacity for local vaccine production, saying countries suffered injustice as a result of the Covid-19 vaccination.

He spoke in Abuja during the handover for pentavalent vaccine donated by the Indonesian government to Nigeria.

He stated, “Nigeria is in dire need of vaccines to close the gap of zero-dose children and we believe your contribution will go a long way as Nigeria is accelerating to close that gap. It is very important to show we support the avenue of South-South collaboration.

“We have suffered injustice from Covid-19 vaccination for so long. We hope beyond this gesture there would be more collaboration to strengthen our capacity for local production of vaccines in our respective countries. “

The Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia, Dr Usra Harahap, said a total of 1,580,000 vaccines were donated to the Federal Government.

He said the vaccines would contribute to reducing the burden of preventable diseases, especially among vulnerable populations such as newborn babies and young children in Nigeria.

He said the vaccine would guard against diseases like diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B, and Hemophilus influenzae type B.

The Executive Director, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Faisal Shuaib, said the agency was committed to maximising the impact of the vaccines by ensuring equitable distribution and accessibility throughout all segments of society.

He noted that special attention would be given to vulnerable populations, marginalised communities, and remote areas with limited healthcare access.

---

---