The Senate Committee on Health has pledged to ensure the timely release of funds to support frontline workers and boost vaccination drives nationwide.
The committee’s Chairman, Dr. Ipalibo Harry-Barigo, made the commitment on Monday, during an outreach and sensitisation in Galadimawa community, FCT in commemoration of the 2025 World Immunisation Day celebration.
“As a committee on the Senate, we are always trying to make sure that we provide enough budget appropriation for immunisation,” she said.
The event tagged, “World Immunisation Day: Immunisation is Humanly Possible for All” was organised by the Committee in collaboration with Caywood Brown Foundation and other partners.
Harry-Barigo said immunisation was important to saving lives and improving health, adding that the community outreach would help to cancel myths against vaccination.
Acting Executive Secretary of the FCT Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Ruqaya Wamakko, stressed the need to ensure that all children were immunised to prevent diseases.
“We urge every household to bring out their children for this vaccination. It is our responsibility to ensure we vaccinate our children and protect them against diseases.
“We also urge all traditional, religious leaders, households’ heads and women to allow their children access this initiative,” she said.
Similarly, CEO Vaccine Network for Disease Control, Mrs. Chika Offor, said as Nigeria targets 106 million children, vaccination was one of the activities the network was deploying to support the government.
In the same vein, Country Director, Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), Emmanuel Alhassan, emphasised the importance of funding to improve access to immunisation.
“It is very significant because there are so many vaccine preventable diseases. Vaccination is very important that is why partners are coming to support government ambitious targets of reaching 106 million children.
“It is achievable; and we will continue to advocate that they should increase funding in a sustainable manner for immunisation and strengthening of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) in the country,” he said.
