Vaccine Network for Disease Control Empowers Advocacy Working Group on Domestic Resource Mobilization
By Ayeeshat J. Ahmad Kano
The Vaccine Network for Disease Control, supported by Gavi, organized a 2-day capacity-building workshop on Domestic Resource Mobilization for Immunization and Primary Health Care strengthening.
The objectives of the workshop Is to Advocate for Domestic Resources Mobilization for Immunization and PHC strengthening in Kano State.
In her statement Chyka Nwanko program officer of the Vaccine Network for Disease Control highlighted the pressing need for domestic resource mobilization, citing the departure of major funders like USAID and Gavi’s planned exit.
“Looking at what’s happening with funders, most especially USAID across the globe, we found out that USAID has left and Gavi is also going. So, will we wait until it’s critical before we start making decisions? ”
“Can we strengthen our focus to health financing? How can we mobilize resources that will help fund immunization and PHCs so that immunization will continue as free to all, and everyone can access the vaccine. The Time to act is now.”
Nwanko However emphasized the importance of harnessing local opportunities, particularly from philanthropists in the state.
“The next thing to do is to invite philanthropists and influencers,women organizations that can help us pick this idea up to have a state-wide impact at the end of the day in the four states – Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, and Kano state,” Nwanko state
The initiative involves opening social mobilization committees and strengthening them to identify barriers at facility, LGA, and state levels.
“What’s we did now is opening social mobilization committee and strengthen them to open their eyes and say, ‘Okay, we can do this’ and go and check what are the barriers at facility level from the caregivers, LGA level, and state level,” Nwanko explained
The Initiative also build capacity on conducting qualitative surveys to enhance advocacy efforts, and pilot the data collection tools developed for the survey starting with Giginyu PHC in Nasawara Local Government in Kano state.
In his remark Dr. Yahaya Hasan Oloriegbe, Consultant for the Vaccine Network and Disease Control, emphasized that the objective of the PREACH project, supported by Gavi, is to bring together key stakeholders in the state to collaborate on improving domestic mobilization, providing technical advisory and necessary skills to stakeholders.
“What we’ve done for the past two days is to bring various stakeholders to different levels in the state with the task to provide more technical advisory within the state to work together to see how we can improve domestic mobilization,” Oloriegbe explained.
Oloriegbe also urged philanthropists in the four states to accept the uptake of domestic mobilization to save money.
“I urge the philanthropists in the four states to please accept the uptake of domestic mobilization in order to save the Children,” he said.
The workshop was held at the Haiti Hotel in Kano, brought together stakeholders from various sectors in the state, including Health Professionals religious Leaders,civil society organization and the media, to gather and improve the program.