TheCable

The European Union (EU) has donated 70 million euros to strengthen Nigeria’s health systems and eradicate the polio virus in the country.

The donation is the first phase of a project to support maternal, new-born and child heath, strengthen Nigeria’s health sector and eradicate the polio virus in the country.

According to a statement, the federal government, through the ministry of health, the ministry of budget and national planning and the national primary health care development agency, will collaborate with the EU, UNICEF, WHO and some target states for the implementation of the project.

Fifty million euros of the grant will be disbursed through UNICEF which will “ensure that by 2020, 80 percent of the wards in Adamawa, Bauchi and Kebbi states will have a functional primary health care centre, providing round-the-clock services to three million children under the age of five as well as almost a million pregnant women and lactating mothers.”

While 20 million euro will be disbursed through WHO which will then support the strengthening of health care systems towards achieving universal health coverage in Anambra and Sokoto states.

The project will also support efforts to eradicate polio permanently from Nigeria.

“The European Union is working together with the Nigerian authorities to address developmental challenges in key priority areas under its 11th European Development Fund. This project will help to improve access to effective health and nutrition in the prioritised states and support the final push toeradicate polio in Nigeria,” Michel Arrion, EU ambassador to Nigeria and to ECOWAS, said at the event.

“The focus is especially on providing services to poor, marginalised, rural women and children, saving the lives of mothers and children and improving their health and nutrition through a sustainable primary health care delivery system.”

Wondimagegnehu Alemu, WHO country representative, said, “Our partnership with the EU will enable the organisation to continue providing the necessary technical support to the government of Nigeria towards strengthening the health systems and enhancing timely interventions during supplemental immunisation activities, including reaching children in areas with insecurity in the northeast.”