POLIO: 7 STATES WIN $1M EACH FROM BILL GATES’ GRANT

Six states, drawn from each of the geo-political zones, Ondo, Kogi, Zamfara, Borno, Anambra and Cross River, have emerged winners in a polio eradication competition, winning $1million grant money each to tackle top health issues in their states. The grant money was partly sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.
Niger State also emerged the most improved state in the country in the fight to eradicate polio in the country.

This was the outcome of the Nigeria Governors’ Immunisation Leadership Challenge, a year-long annual initiative aimed at eradicating the polio virus, which is sponsored by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the Ministry of Health, in conjunction with the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.

While the Bill Gates Foundation gives a grant of $500, 000 to the states to support their top health priorities, the rules of the competition further provide that the states stand a chance of getting two additional grants of $250,000 which will also be channelled to top health priorities in the states.

According to the report which was presented by Minister of State for Health, Mohammed Pate, and the executive secretary of NPHCDA, Dr Ado Mohammed, to the NGF during their meeting on Wednesday, the best performing state zone by zone for 2012 are South West - Ondo (91 percent); South South - Cross River (83 percent); North Central - Kogi (81 percent); South East - Anambra (76 percent) ; North East - Borno (72 percent), and North West - Zamfara (60 percent).

Niger State, however, emerged the most improved with a percentage improvement of 58 percent between 2011 and 2012.
According to the report, there were 122 cases of wild polio virus reported in Nigeria in 2012, up from 62 in 2011 and just 21 in 2010.
So far this year, eight cases have been reported in Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Nasarawa, and the Federal Capital Territory. All 36 States are encouraged to continue to strive to meet the target of eliminating Polio from Nigeria by end of 2014.
The report further said commendable best practises were evident in the high performing states as well as in Imo, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Lagos and Ogun states.
Members of the panel of judges for the report include Dr Oyewale Tomori of Redeemers University; Mr Shehu Sule, retired Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health; Ms Amina J. Mohammed, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Dr Mercy Ahun of the Gavi Alliance.
Addressing newsmen after the submission of the report, Shehu Sule, however, confirmed that Bill Gates might not be coming to Nigeria as he said fellow billionaire, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, had been designated to represent him on the planned visit.

Source: Leadership