Kano Assembly Committed to Addressing Zero-Dose Challenges
The Kano State House of Assembly has pledged its commitment to tackling the zero-dose immunization challenges in the state.
Hon. Aminu Ungogo, Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, made this assurance during a courtesy visit by the Kano Community of Practice (CoP) on Immunization Budget Tracking, Accountability, and Sustainability. He expressed gratitude for the visit and praised the CoP’s humanitarian efforts, reaffirming their partnership as “Partners in Progress.”
Hon. Ungogo confirmed that the Kano State Government has allocated 16.3% of the 2024 budget to health, including N528 million specifically for routine immunization activities. He noted that this allocation exceeds the federal government’s percentage for health.
He assured that zero-dose coverage will remain a top priority in the 2025 budget presentation and suggested that collaborating with the Kano State Ministry of Local Government would further enhance the CoP’s advocacy efforts.
The CoP team highlighted that Kano has the highest number of zero-dose children in the country, with 15 local government areas affected. Zero-dose children are those who have not received any vaccines.
The CoP, under the Zero Dose Learning Hub (ZDLH) project, is implemented by the Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN) and the Africa Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) with funding from GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance. The team, led by Dr. Musa Muhammad Bello, AHBN ZDLH Kano State Focal Person, and Mallam Salisu Yusuf, CoP Co-Chair CSOs, advocated for the sustained oversight function of the health committee to track progress and challenges regarding routine immunization budget releases and utilization.
