Over one million infants vaccinated in Gombe, Jigawa, 9 other states
Over one million infants have been vaccinated in 11 northern states since the conditional cash transfer for routine immunisation program began in 2021,Newsmen learned.
Over 9.5 million vaccinations in Gombe, Bauchi, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara, Adamawa and Taraba states were facilitated by the New Incentives – All Babies Are Equal (NI-ABAE).
According to a statement by the State Ministries of Health and State Primary Health Care Development Agencies (SPHCDA) of Gombe, Bauchi, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara, Adamawa and Taraba states, after their fifth bi-annual joint stakeholder meeting, said the partnership helped to improve demand generation for routine immunisation and other supply-side supports for the routine immunization system.
The statement reads: “The All Babies program encourages each round of vaccines included in Nigeria’s Routine Immunisation schedule. Small cash incentives are disbursed to beneficiaries during each of the six routine immunisation visits, conditional on infants receiving BCG (newborn), PENTA, and PCV (6, 10, and 14 weeks); and MCV vaccines (9 and 15 months).
“Though these vaccines are the ones minimally required to receive the incentive, all vaccinations in the routine immunisation schedule are encouraged. The caregiver receives N500 for all visits except for the nine and 15th-month visits, where the incentive is N2,000 upon receiving MCV 1, and N1,000 upon receiving MCV 2.
“These vaccinations are provided at no cost to the caregiver through government-supported clinics. The cash incentives help compensate for transportation costs, lost income, and waiting time while creating behavioural change through awareness creation on the benefits of immunisations.
“Since the beginning in January 2021, the All Babies program has enrolled over 1 million infants, encouraged over 9.5 million vaccinations, and disbursed N2.3 billion to caregivers, thanks to the collaboration of staff at over 4,000 government clinics in 124 local government areas.
“In 109 of these councils, the All Babies program operates in nearly all government clinics. An independent randomised control trial of the All Babies program (2017-2020), found that the program increases the likelihood that children would be fully immunised by 27 per cent and increases rates of individual vaccinations by 14 to 21 per cent.
“In 2023, NI-ABAE plans to work with state partners to expand the program to 11 states throughout northern Nigeria, and enrol 1.5 million infants throughout the year.”
