Bill Gates Expresses Shock At Scarcity' Lagos May Source BCG, DTP-3, Others IndependentlyPRIMARY Health Care centres across the country are grappling with acute shortage of critical vaccines for infants, especially the third dose of Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis-3 (DTP-3) and Bacillus Calmette-Gurin (BCG).Both vaccines are meant to prevent tetanus and tuberculosis infections among children, in line with the 2015 Millennium Development Goals of addressing the challenge of infant mortality.The shortage of DTP-3 shortage is said to be as a result of the bombing of the United Nations (UN) building in Abuja last month.This has resulted in bureaucratic bottlenecks slowing procedures at health-focused UN agencies, like the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), that are responsible for procurement of the vaccines.Politely dismissing some nursing mothers, who thronged the health care centre in Ajao Estate, Isolo, Lagos to immunize their babies last week, a medical nurse said the unit had not received some of the vaccines for about a month, a situation she linked to the bombing of the UN House in Abuja.The building also houses the UNICEF, which provides the counterpart funding for most of the vaccines disbursed across the country.Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, who confirmed the shortage of DTP-3 in a text message to The Guardian, linked the scarcity to 'administrative/logistic hitches', which he also traced to the bombing incident at the United Nations House.He said: 'Yes (scarcity of the vaccines), due to some administrative/logistic hitch not unconnected with the bombing incident at the UN House.'The minister, however, assured that BCG would be available this week, as the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) had ordered the product.He also gave assurance that DTP would be made available in three weeks' time, saying that all other vaccines, including those for measles, yellow fever and oral polio, had been made available.(The) 'NPHCDA has ordered DPT and BCG. BCG will be available by next week while DTP will be available in three weeks' time. All other vaccines are available: measles, yellow fever, oral polio, etc,' he said.Similarly, the Minister of State for Health, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said that although the Federal Government purchases the vaccines, they are procured and distributed to the states by the UNICEF, which provides the logistics and counterpart funding.'However, this process was disrupted by the recent UN House bombing. So, UNICEF could not meet up with the logistics within that period,' he said.'But the FG has stepped in to provide the logistics and all the vaccines have been procured and distributed to the states. I just spoke with the Lagos State Health Commissioner, Dr Jide Idris. They have received most of the vaccines,' he added.This, notwithstanding, the Lagos State government yesterday said it plans to start procuring some of the vaccines from sources other than the ones linked with the Federal Government.Idris, while responding to the issue yesterday, said: 'You know we get these vaccines from the FG. So, they are the ones who are in a better position to explain the shortage. However, we have received most of the vaccines, except for one or two. We expect that, before the end of next week, we will have all the vaccines. 'On what the State is doing to bridge the gap, Idris said: 'These vaccines cannot just be ordered for or procured by just anybody. There are procedures. But we may have plan for that in the future.'The Guardian gathered that philanthropist and founder of the Bill and Melinda Foundation, Mr. Bill Gates, had viewed the scarcity as scandalous.Specifically, the shortage of third dose of DTP-3 vaccine was a total shock to Gates, who recently visited Nigeria, a country where he had expended a large chunk of funds in efforts to eradicate childhood diseases among vulnerable groups.Currently, the Bill and Melinda Foundation takes the lead in funding for vaccines in Nigeria; hence; the founder's surprise and later disappointment at the acute shortage of the preparations.It was confirmed that, ata closed-door meeting of other international donors, Gates sought to know the UNICEF official in-charge of vaccines 'that could allow for the degeneration of the situation.'A source said the only time Nigeria experienced such disgraceful shortage of vaccines that are meant to save thousands of children and infants was in the days of a former First Lady.A hefty sum of vaccine funds that passed through the woman few years ago had vanished into thin air till date.Most first ladies' 'portfolios' under their husband's administration always 'take charge' of such projects within the health sector or related ministries.The DPT vaccines are procured by the UNICEF with a percentage of the funds provided by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH).Authoritative sources explained that these funds are not sourced only from government coffers butthat the majority of the money comes from the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI).Since the inception of GAVI support, Nigeria has received a total of $30.6m for immunization activities. This funding comprised initial disbursements of $14m over 2001/2002 and 2006, followed by a reward payment of $16.7m in 2007.Other challenges facing the availability of the DTP-3 is the recommendation by the National Assembly and the FMOH to remove the DTP-3 fund from the recurrent expenditure to the capital expenditure in budgetary allocation.Observers believe this will only tend to serve the interest of government officials in the long run.In recurrent expenditure category, the funds are easily accessible while in the capital group, definite approvals and stringent hurdles must be sought before they are accessed.
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