Bill Gates, Dangote, sign MoU with Northern Governors on routine immunization

PRESIDENT BUHARI RECEIVES BILL GATES

President Muhammadu Buhari receives Bill Gates: R-L: President T DANGOTE GROUP, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President Buhari, Chairman Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr Bill Gates and President Global Development of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr Christopher J. Elias during an audience with Bill Gates and Alhaji Aliko Dangote at the State House, Abuja on Wednesday, 20 Jan. 2016. Photo: SUNDAY AGHAEZE. JAN 20 2016.

Femi Adi/Kaduna

President Muhammadu Buhari receives Bill Gates:  R-L: President T DANGOTE GROUP, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President Buhari, Chairman Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr Bill Gates and President Global Development of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr Christopher J. Elias during an audience with Bill Gates and Alhaji Aliko Dangote at the State House, Abuja on Wednesday, 20 Jan. 2016. Photo: SUNDAY AGHAEZE. JAN 20 2016.
President Muhammadu Buhari receives Bill Gates: R-L: President T DANGOTE GROUP, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President Buhari, Chairman Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr Bill Gates and President Global Development of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr Christopher J. Elias during an audience with Bill Gates and Alhaji Aliko Dangote at the State House, Abuja on Wednesday, 20 Jan. 2016. Photo: SUNDAY AGHAEZE. JAN 20 2016.

The President of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, the President of the Dangote Foundation, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, on Tuesday in Kaduna signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for routine immunization with Northern states governors.

The partnership is aimed at eradicating polio and other child killer related diseases in the northern states.

In his brief remark before the signing ceremony at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Aliko Dangote urged the new governors to take ownership and heart of the immunization programme.

Dangote who urged Kaduna Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai and other governors to visit a health centre every month for supportive supervision, called on the federal government to continue to work closely with the states to provide routine and new vaccines and other health items.

According to Dangote, Bill Gate’s commitment to polio eradication was clear, but he also talked to me about how immunization is life saving, cost effective and is a cornerstone of every primary health care system.

“Leadership and guidance of federal government and the commitment of the governors are critical to success. For me, bringing health care to the community is something I care about deeply. So, it is very important that communities trust that health services are there for them.”

United States Ambassador, James Entwistle in his speech said the signing of MoU demonstrates the willingness and commitment of Nigeria’s government and organizations to tackle the challenges.

While noting that Melinda Gates Foundation’s contribution in the areas of health and agriculture have yielded concrete results in Nigeria, the US Ambassador said the United States government seeks opportunities to partner with Nigerians in tackling the challenges of development.

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He disclosed that U.S. government will provide more than 600 million dollars to address serious health issues such as child mortality, maternal and newborn health.

The host Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai thanked his guests for visiting Kaduna and gave assurance that all agreements reached in the MoU would implemented.

El-Rufai, who pointed out that immunizing a child which should be simple and routine, has not been so across Nigeria, adding the health system has not been invested with the capacity to consistently provide even routine services at a high standard.

According to him, it was for that reason that the partnership was established to changing it.

“As state Governors, it is evident from the contributions of my colleagues that our key strategy is to ensure that a reliable supply of vaccines is delivered in the right quantities at the right time, with sustained potency, to our health facilities. And if we can do that for vaccines, we can deploy same for every other health commodity our people need.

“It is essential that as State Governments we earn the trust of the community by delivering predictable, reliable health services if we want our citizens to come to the health facilities. By getting immunization right, we can ensure that families access other critical treatments against malaria, diarrhea and other common ailments,” said El-rufai.

Also present in Kaduna at the signing of the MoU were the governors of Kano, Abdullahi Ganduje; Borno, Kashim Shettima; Bauchi, Mohammed Abubakar; Sokoto, Aminu Tambuwal; and Yobe, Ibrahim Geidam.

Also at the event were Sultan of Sokoto, Emir of Kano and the Shehu of Borno.

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