The Save the Children International (SCI) and Glaxo Smithkline (GSK) have expressed regret that the African continent still has the highest number of ‘zero dose’ children not receiving a routine vaccination in the world.
A press statement signed by the SCI Acting Media and Communication head, Rhoda Ndahi and made available to our reporter on Monday, said more than a third of the 8.7 million children in Africa lived in Nigeria and Ethiopia.
The statement explained that due to the immunisation financing, over 50 million children’s lives were saved in Africa through the expanded immunisation programme, as revealed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The statement disclosed that NGOs also advocated for female inclusion in politics and call for a legalized funding to be made for the Primary Healthcare operations in the respective countries.
“The African continent has the highest number of ‘zero dose’ children those who have never received a routine vaccination in the world. 8.7 million children and more than a third of these children live in Nigeria and Ethiopia.
“Last year, Save the Children and GSK renewed their decade-long partnership for a further five years, with an investment of £15 million from GSK enabling the two new vaccination programmes in Ethiopia and Nigeria focused on reducing the number of zero-dose children.
“Grants on offer are up to the value of $100,000 per project, alongside wrap-around support services from technical guidance to legal advice and branding assistance, were tailored to address the diverse needs of varying-size companies and startups,” the statement concluded.
