By Lizzy Carr
The executive chairman Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Board Dr Rilwanu Mohammed has acknowledged the support of Africa Health Budget Network (AHBNs) and AFENET in the Zero Dose Learning Hub implementation in the state that has helped Bauchi to achieve 87% Penta 3 uptake as contained in NDHS 2023/24.
This he said has put Bauchi State as second in the country to achieve such a feat.
Dr Rilwanu Mohammed stated this Tuesday when the coordinator/CEO of AHBN Dr Aminu Magashi Garba Tuesday led the Bauchi State Focal Person and the Chairmen of the Zero Dose Learning Hub Community of Practice (CoP) to a high-level Advocacy meeting to discuss ongoing AHBN support in consortium with AFENET in supporting underserved and missed settlements to access life-saving immunization thereby reducing zero dose in the State
The Executive Chairman thanked Dr Magashi and his team for assisting the State on advocacy budget increase , conduct of facility Routine Immunization budget tracking, accountability, and sustainability supportive supervision among others.
He urge AHBN to help advocate to local government councils to ensure prompt payment of their financial contribution to the MoU basket, the integration of PHC under one Roof (PHCOUR) and the for them to acknowledge the role of Ward Development Committee’s and Village Development Committee’s (WDCs and VDCs) in the new Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Boards law so as to strengthen interventions.
In another development the Coordinator/CEO of African Health Budget Network (AHBN) Dr Aminu Magashi Garba alongside members of the Academic Team of the CoP visited some Primary Health Care facilities in Ganjuwa local government area to review the submitted research concept note on immunization budget allocation, tracking, accountability and sustainability.
He told the Deputy Chairman Ahmed Saleh Suleiman, the Head of Administration Salisu Doguwa and other Directors of the LGA that AHBN will support the council in getting vaccine for all eligible children under the age of 5 years thereby reducing the incidence of zero dose children especially in hard to reach communities and underserved settlements.
The team engaged the facility in-charges and local government health officials on the cold store infrastructure,Routine Immunization and Data management .
They also engaged them on harmonization of outreach session/mobile team registers, defaulters and tracking mechanism.
Dr Magashi recommended the integration of the facility engagement into the research concept note to generate evidence based findings that will eventually inform strategies to strengthen zero dose support.
