Nigeria receives US$7M grant from Canada to strengthen Covid-19 vaccine delivery systems

NIGERIA— Under the Canada Global Initiative for Vaccine Equity (CanGIVE), Nigeria will get US$7.02 million to scale up COVID-19 vaccine service, especially among high-priority and marginalized groups.

Nigeria is amongst six other countries, that will benefit from Canada’s global initiative of US$240M.

The Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health hosted the grant launch event in collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), supported by World Health Organisation (WHO).

Also pertinent to the delivery of the new initiative are the United Nations Childrens Education Fund (UNICEF), the Pan American Health Organization, and Medicines Patent Pool.

Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Jamie Christoff, said the grant was designed to reach high-priority and marginalized groups, enhance the integration of the Covid-19 vaccine into routine health service and scale up regional vaccine production capacity.

Amb. Christoff noted that although COVID-19 was no longer a global emergency, it was still important to reinforce public health systems as part of an inclusive and sustainable recovery.

“We must intentionally link up these efforts with routine immunization and other services. This can help, for example, to reach children who missed routine vaccinations over the pandemic. We know that ultimately, it takes a health system to turn a vaccine into vaccination,” Amb. Christoff explained.

The High Commissioner said the project will integrate COVID-19 into the country’s health information systems, enhancing information management and disease surveillance data, including gender-responsive data.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of NPHCDA, Faisal Shuaib, said over 75 percent of the target population had been reached with at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine since implementation commenced.

Shuaib said the vaccination program has been implemented in phases, ensuring that eligible populations are reached, and no one is left behind.

“Nigeria was among the first countries to establish an electronic registry and integrate COVID-19 vaccination with other primary healthcare services. Our “One Country, One Team; One Plan, One Budget” approach reflects our commitment to integrating lessons learned during and after the pandemic into our healthcare system,” Shuaib said.

Underperforming states in the fight against COVID 19

Shuaib noted although significant progress has been made in vaccinating eligible populations, some states are performing better than others.

The NPHCDA director said the states targeted for implementation include Ondo, Rivers, Kogi, Delta, Ebonyi, Lagos, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Benue, Ogun, Katsina, Taraba, Anambra, Kebbi, and Edo.

WHO’s Country Representative in Nigeria, Walter Mulombo, said the grant came at the right time to help improve coverage and uptake of vaccines among the priority populations.

Mr. Mulombo said as of now, 14 states are performing less than 50 percent vaccination coverage of their target population.

“We still have some vulnerable populations that are not sufficiently covered. Key among these subgroups is the age from 50 years and above, people with co-morbidities, health workers, people living in humanitarian and security compromised communities, and pregnant women,” he said.

The WHO representative cautions that Nigerians need to continue protecting themselves by completing the primary series of COVID-19 vaccination and those who had completed continuing with the booster dose schedule.

Mulombo promised that the WHO would continue to provide technical support to implement one health approach to preparedness and response and integrate Covid-19 surveillance and response activities into routine health programs.

The CanGIVE initiative

Amb. Christoff noted that CanGIVE is designed to achieve three things mainly to strengthen Covid-19 vaccine delivery systems and community outreach to reach high-priority and marginalised groups.

Additionally, the grant will enhance the integration of Covid-19 vaccines into routine health services in a way that strengthens the broader health system, including increasing gender responsiveness.

Finally, CanGive will scale up regional vaccine production capacity to bring manufacturing closer to populations in need.

“CanGIVE will also target improved access to Covid-19 vaccines for humanitarian contexts. For example, here in Nigeria, UNICEF will ensure cold chain equipment remains functional and health facilities’ access to water and sanitation is unhindered in hard-to-reach areas,” emphasized Amb. Christoff.

The grant, which is to be implemented through the WHO, will also contribute to strengthening the health system, addressing service delivery inequities and gender disparities at the sub-national level.

The Government of Canada will provide funding over two years to support CanGIVE and it will prioritize efforts in seven African countries i.e., Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, and Tanzania, with flexibility to respond to emerging needs in the region in countries such as Cameroon, Malawi, and The Gambia.

The project will be targeted to address vast inequities in access to vaccines, particularly for individuals in vulnerable situations, notably women and girls, as well as those living in hard-to-reach areas, or who have been impacted by humanitarian emergencies.

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