NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Friday, April 22, 2016

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) says government spending on immunisation is expected to top $345 million a year by 2022 when international funding support from the Global Alliance for Vaccine Initiative (GAVI) is completely withdrawn.

Nigeria lost GAVI support after a rebasing of its economy re-classed it the biggest economy in Africa and ineligible for vaccine support meant for third-world countries.

NPHCDA executive director Dr Muhammad Ado said with donor support, full immunisation for children costs Nigeria an estimated $230 million yearly, but only around $85m to $90m is paid by Nigeria-the rest by donors.

Speaking in Abuja as legislators and health stakeholders from five Anglophone countries began a three-day peer review workshop to work out how each country can sustain funding for national immunisation, Ado said the $345m, rising due to introduction of new vaccines and the growing population of children who need immunisation, is expected to be funded domestically.