The Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN) has urged the Kano State Government to prioritize the timely release of counterpart funding and improve immunization budget performance in order to tackle the growing number of zero-dose and under-immunized children in the state.
The call was made during the unveiling and stakeholder validation of the Immunization Budget Scorecard by the Zero Dose Learning Hub (ZDLH) Community of Practice (CoP), held at the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in Kano.
The AHBN State Focal Person,Dr. Musa Muhammad Bello, emphasized the need for harmonization and streamlining of activities among development partners to avoid duplication of efforts and waste of resources.
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“There is a need for improved coordination among partners supporting zero-dose activities to ensure efficiency and accountability,”
Dr. Musa commended the Kano State Government for establishing a State Task Force on Immunization and Primary Healthcare, chaired by the Deputy Governor.
He further applauded the government’s commitment to health through sustained double-digit budgetary allocations for the health sector exceeding the Abuja Declaration target and the creation of a dedicated budget code for immunization services.
“Kano is among the few states that have consistently maintained a strong commitment to health financing, especially in immunization,”
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The focal person highlighted that, under the ZDLH project, AHBN has implemented several initiatives, including the creation of a Community of Practice (CoP) for immunization advocacy and stakeholder engagement.
“ decentralized immunization monitoring surveys in Kumbotso LGA (in collaboration with AFENET), and the development of a budget tracking and accountability scorecard”
Dr. Musa noted that the ZDLH initiative, supported by GAVI aims to build the capacity of healthcare professionals and increase demand for immunization services, especially for unreached children.
“ZDLH is an innovative effort developed in partnership with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), state-level primary healthcare boards, and implemented by AFENET and AHBN with technical guidance from JSI across Kano, Sokoto, Bauchi, and Borno,”
In his remarks, the director general Kano State Primary Healthcare Management Board (SPHCMB), Dr Nasir Mahmoud revealed that Kano is among the states with the highest number of zero-dose children, with 15 out of 100 identified LGAs nationwide located in the state.
He assured that the government and its development partners are working diligently to reverse the trend.
“Kano has been actively involved in the Zero Dose Learning Hub from the onset, showing our dedication to improving the health and wellbeing of women and children,” he said.
Dr. Nasir described immunization as the most effective strategy for reducing maternal and neonatal mortality and called for continued support from all stakeholders to ensure every child is reached.
The meeting was attended by representatives from GAVI, AFENET, civil society organizations CSOs, media and all relevant stakeholders.