Gates, Dangote float new funding window for healthcare delivery in Kano, Yobe States
As part of its global humanitarian activities, Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation and Dangote Foundation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the governments of Northern Nigeria States of Kano, and Yobe, aimed at boosting primary healthcare delivery in the two states.
The signing of the agreement which was witnessed by a large collection of major stakeholders drawn from within and outside the country, was a follow up to earlier agreement entered into by the two Foundations and governments of the two states. Under the new agreement, the management of the Foundations will be partnering governments of each of the two states to float a funding basket to be used in financing Primary Health Care Delivery in rural areas of the two states.
Each of the two Foundations is contributing 40 percent of the Funds into the new Basket, to be put in place under the agreement in each of the two states, while, the governments of each of the states are to individually contribute the remaining20 percent.
Speaking via teleconference during the signing ceremony held at the Africa House section of Kano Government House, Bill Gate, founder of Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation, said the new funding window is geared at accelerating the routine immunization among children below five years old in the two states.
Gate, also disclosed that the new financing opportunity which the agreement offers will help in providing finance for delivery of high quality immunization of children against childhood diseases such as polio, and others.
According to Gates, “Such cost-effective interventions can significantly reduce maternal and newborn mortality. Further improvements are also possible through the development of new tools and technologies that enable earlier, faster, and more accurate assessment of gestational age and diagnosis and treatment of dangerous conditions, including measures to prevent preterm death.
Speaking further, the Billionaire said, “Increasing the coverage of family planning services, especially among high-risk adolescent girls, can help significantly reduce maternal and newborn mortality. Improvement in the quality of antenatal and postpartum services can help strengthen the link between family planning and maternal and newborn health.”
He stated that the partnership in the area of healthcare delivery entered between the two Foundations and the Governments of the two states which started four years ago, has tremendously impacted positively on healthcare delivery in the states.
He commended the governments of the two states, as well as traditional institutions, and other Stakeholders for the achievements recorded so far, and described this year (2017) ‘as very critical’ in the on-going global campaign against some identified childhood diseases.
Aliko Dangote, president of the Dangote group urged the governments of the two benefiting states to ensure that the Financial Book of the special intervention programme funded by the Foundations which ended last year is audited.
Dangote, particularly, urged the government of Yobe state to improve on its data generation capability as well as delivery of High Quality immunization activities in the Local Government Areas liberated from the insurgency.
Governor Umar Abdullahi Ganduje thanked the two Foundations and other stakeholders for the support rendered to the state which has greatly assisted in improving overall health care delivery in the state. He highlighted some the milestone achievements so far made under his administration which includes completing two major Specialist Hospitals for designated for Children and Women in the state, among others.
Adeola Ajakaiye