President Bola Tinubu has called on Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to cooperate with potential Nigerian vaccine manufacturers to safeguard access to life-saving vaccines.
Addressing a delegation of GAVI led by its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Sania Nishtar, at the State House, on Thursday, President Tinubu insisted that partnership across local vaccine production is necessary, hence, challenges faced by developing countries, citing the COVID-19 pandemic and other infectious disease outbreaks.
In President Tinubu’s remarks, assured GAVI CEO of Nigeria’s commitment to fulfilling its quota in contributions for routine vaccines for the year 2023.
“We have capable and talented people who can make the necessary contributions to the production of vaccines in Nigeria and the rest of Africa,’’ the President told the visiting CEO, who assumed office on March 18, 2024, and has embarked on visits to some African countries.
“We intend to contribute to the development of our healthcare programme, and we are committed to partnering with GAVI.
“GAVI’s commitment to humanity is recognized throughout the world. Thank you for the impactful commitment to humanity, and we welcome the collaboration to save our children from preventable diseases.
”We as a nation are committed to your values, and we believe that no child should be left unprotected,” he said.
Commending Dr. Nishtar for her visit to Nigeria and support for the administration’s health-care strategies, President Tinubu acknowledged the invaluable perspective shared by the GAVI CEO, pledging to prioritize investments in health sector renewal because of the needed coordination and collaboration among federal, state, and local governments.
The GAVI CEO hailed the Nigerian government’s innovative policies and healthcare reforms, including increasing budgetary allocations to health to 4.6 percent and commitment to providing HPV vaccines for adolescent girls, among others.
“Nigeria is a very special country. It is a very special country in Africa. It is a special country in the world and it is a very special country for us in GAVI. There is a dictum in GAVI that says, ‘there is no success for GAVI without success in Nigeria’,” she said.
She announced GAVI’s commitment to providing $250 million grant support to Nigeria, informing the President that the GAVI Board will be meeting soon to consult on policy resolutions that will impact the way in which Nigeria receives support from the organization, beyond 2028, also noting that her visit to the country was for discussions with Nigeria’s health executives.
saharandaily