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- UNICEF seeks increase in budget allocation to health in Kebbi
From Olanrewaju Lawal Birnin Kebbi
GAVI vaccine alliance, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Kebbi State Government have commission Polio Operations Centre,and working vehicles in Birnin Kebbi,the state capital.
The centre, a multibillion naira project, is sponsored by GAVI vaccine alliance through UNICEF, which was equipped with modern tools to be serving as centre to control the spread of the polio wild virus in communities.
While speaking to newsmen after the commissioning of the project, Kebbi State Governor, Dr Nasir Idris, represented by the Head of Service,Alhaji Garba Bena assured the development partners that the state government would ensure the edifice are properly maintain.
According to him, ” first and foremost,we want to appreciate our development partners for this edifice which I just commissioned today. I want to assure you that we would ensure that this centre is properly maintain. The Executive Secretary is here,and he would ensure that this centre is taking care off.
“Also ,these vehicles,there are trackers on them,they would be properly monitor”, he said.
Earlier,the UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Christina Munduate noted that the main purpose of construction of the centre was to ensure that rights information about the polio virus, sensitisation of people,accurate information,were passed to the communities across the state.
She said: “our mandate is to go to the children around the world and Nigeria especially which is very important country to us. Today,we are in Kebbi State to implement our agenda with the Government of Kebbi State. We have an important day here, first, we have inaugurated this centre we have here. This will be a coordinating centre for polio.
“It will be serving as a centre where decision on how to go to the larger communities to reach out to those children who had never received the polio vaccines. This will enable the people to know how Polio can affect the children. These children could be disabled if infected by the virus through out their lives.
“Haven disabled children will bring a lot of stress and suffering to the families. This is another point.
“The other things is that, polio can be rapidly transmitted. That is why we are appealing to the parents, relatives,all communities to fully engaged this year so they we can report serious cases of polio in ,2024 in Kebbi State.
“Nigeria is one of the three countries around the world which still reporting polio cases. And we think, Nigeria, Kebbi State is one state statistically have polio. So,let us step in,move forward to curtains polio.”
Munduate,while appealing to the State to create budget allocation to the centre for long continuation, said,there was also need to construct PHCs in all communities which are not having any so that, children could be receiving better health services.
According to her, “the second stage which is very important,is to have good PHCs at various communities. So,we are working very closely with the state Government, Ministry of Health,health agencies and their heads,so that we can have PHCs in various Communities where children could have access to Polio vaccines.
“But we need to stay long,there is need to stay long that is why we are appealing to the State Government to increase budget allocation to health sector. Because Budget allocation to health is not enough. At least,the allocation should be 12% to 15% which is the benchmark.
“We call on the Government to be committed,the media should play their imports roles by sending the messages through the Radio stations, Television stations, social media platforms to reach all the people at various communities on the need for them to allow their children to take polio vaccines”, she said.
At the ceremony, representative of Dangote foundation,WHO, Kebbi State Commissioner for Health,Heads of various health agencies vowed their commitment to the successful campaign, sensitisation on Polio virus transmission and how to curb the virus.
