The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has warned that government spending on immunisation is expected to top $345 million a year by 2022 when international funding support from the Global Alliance for Vaccine Initiative (GAVI) is completely withdrawn.
Nigeria lost GAVI support after the rebasing of its economy classified it as the biggest economy in Africa and ineligible for vaccine support meant for third-world countries.
NPHCDA Executive Director, Dr Muhammad Ado, said in Abuja that with donor support, full immunisation for children costs Nigeria an estimated $230 million yearly, but only around $85m to $90m was paid by Nigeria and the rest by donors.
Speaking when legislators and health stakeholders from five Anglophone countries began a three-day peer review workshop to work out how each country can sustain funding for national immunisation, Ado said the $345m, rising due to introduction of new vaccines and the growing population of children who need immunisation, was expected to be funded domestically.
