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  • Oyo, UNICEF launch health insurance for primary school pupils

    Oyo, UNICEF launch health insurance for primary school pupils

    The Oyo State government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has launched a health insurance scheme aimed at enrolling 10,000 primary school pupils across 18 local government areas (LGAs) in the state.

    The initiative was unveiled on Thursday at the Ibadan Civic Center, Idi-Ape, where the Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal, presented Insurance scheme ID cards to students from 90 schools.

    The deputy governor emphasised that the enrollment reflected the government’s commitment to ensuring the health and well-being of its children, enabling them to learn in supportive environments.

    “This scheme will ensure that our children have sound minds while they learn, praising the partnership between the Oyo State Health Insurance Agency (OYSHIA) and the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (OYOSUBEB) for their efforts in providing healthcare opportunities for public school children.

    “This event represents a collective effort in securing a brighter future for Oyo State pupils,” Lawal added, urging OYSHIA to extend the scheme to all schools within the state and encouraging parents to participate.

    In her goodwill message, Ms. Celine Lafoucriere, Chief of UNICEF Lagos Field Office, highlighted the fundamental right of every child to access affordable, quality healthcare.

    “This initiative reinforces our collective commitment to universal health coverage, ensuring that no child faces financial obstacles to accessing healthcare,” she remarked.

    Lafoucriere stressed that universal health coverage is a healthcare goal and a social and economic necessity.

    “When children have access to healthcare, they can focus on education, grow into productive adults, break the cycle of poverty, and contribute to the success of Oyo State and Nigeria,” she added.

    She highlighted the scheme, which particularly aimed to support public primary school children, especially those in hard-to-reach areas. With the current enrollment covering 90 schools across 18 LGAs, UNICEF’s goal is to ensure that all 33 LGAs in the state are included, leaving no child behind.

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    In her remark, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, praised OYSHIA and OYOSUBEB for their dedication to improving the health of basic school pupils and assured them of her Ministry’s unwavering commitment to the scheme.

    In the same vein, the executive chairman of OYOSUBEB, Dr. Nureni Aderemi Adeniran, expressed support for OYSHIA and pledged his board’s commitment to the successful implementation and sustainability of the program.

    “At OYOSUBEB, we operate on the principle of taking care of the pupils under our care as though they are ours,” he stated, highlighting that the scheme will allow beneficiaries to access quality healthcare without exorbitant costs.

    Earlier in his address, Executive Secretary of OYSHIA, Dr. Olusola Akande, noted that the initiative initially aimed to provide healthcare access to 10,000 public primary school pupils, with plans to enroll an additional 5,500 pupils starting next week.

    He acknowledged UNICEF’s support, which has enhanced awareness campaigns and doubled the communities covered under the Community-based Health Insurance scheme.

    Various stakeholders in the health and education sectors, including the pupils themselves, attended the event, affirming a collective commitment to improving healthcare access for children in the state.

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  • UNICEF tasks Bauchi govt to develop local digital content for students

    UNICEF tasks Bauchi govt to develop local digital content for students

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has tasked the Bauchi State government with incorporating digital local content materials for the UNICEF-supported Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP) digital learning to improve students’ learning outcomes.

    The Education Specialist of UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Abdulraman Ado, made the call on Friday during a visit to some schools that were supported with iPads and other connectivity gadgets for the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP) programme.

    “The key ask for the Bauchi State government include procuring tablets, routers, projectors and setting up of NLP studio to develop local content.

    “They have to monitor digital learning and continuous capacity building of teachers, and leverage the functionality of Teachers Management Information System (TMIS), strengthen ICT infrastructure in school and make sure to secure them,” he said.

    He also stressed the need for Bauchi to finance the uptake and usage of the Nigerian Learning Passport in all schools.

    Vanguard learned that over 1,100 iPads were distributed to junior secondary schools across the State, including Government Secondary School, Toro, where students have been using the gadgets to access online learning materials.

    This follows the visit of the UNICEF Representative to Nigeria, Cristian Munduate, to the area in December last year to assess the children’s educational needs.

  • Water to become precious commodity in Nigeria – UNICEF

    Water to become precious commodity in Nigeria – UNICEF

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised an alarm that water could soon become a highly precious commodity in Nigeria.

    UNICEF’s Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Christiane Munduate, issued the warning during an interview with journalists in Sokoto on Thursday.

    Munduate warned that, if authorities in Nigeria failed to address environmental challenges and combat the effects of climate change, there would be water scarcity across several communities.

    She said that environmental degradation and improper waste management practices were aggravating water scarcity in the country.

    The UNICEF official urged the authorities to enforce existing laws to curb the indiscriminate use and disposal of plastic and polythene materials, which were harming the environment.

    “In Nigeria, water will become the most precious commodity or product in the future.

    “This will surpass the current value of solid minerals, oil and gas resources,” she warned.

    Munduate, who was on a working visit to the North West, also expressed concerns about the indiscriminate sinking of boreholes.

    She stated that the practice was worsening the effects of climate change

    She called on governments at all levels to prioritise the provision of clean water, emphasising its role in preventing diseases and improving public health.

  • 70% of Nigerian schools and 88% of health facilities lack basic sanitation- UNICEF

    70% of Nigerian schools and 88% of health facilities lack basic sanitation- UNICEF

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised concerns over Nigeria’s alarming sanitation challenges, revealing that 70% of schools and 88% of health facilities across the country lack access to basic sanitation services.

    Dr. Olusoji Akinleye, Coordinator and Officer in Charge (OIC) of UNICEF’s Enugu Field Office, disclosed these statistics during a media dialogue in Enugu held on Tuesday to mark the 2024 World Toilet Day. The event, themed “Toilets: A Place for Peace,” highlights the critical need for improved sanitation infrastructure in Nigeria.

    Dr. Akinleye highlighted the extent of the crisis. He explained that 48 million Nigerians, including 18 million children, still practice open defecation.
    “Also, 70% of schools without access to basic sanitation services (~91,000 schools); 88% of health facilities without access to basic sanitation (~27,600 health facilities),“ he stated.

    He also noted that 80% of markets and motor parks in the country lack access to basic sanitation, increasing public health risks.

    Inadequate funding hampers progress
    Akinleye attributed the persistence of open defecation and poor sanitation services to inadequate funding. He revealed that only 17% of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas (LGAs) have achieved Open Defecation Free (ODF) status.

    According to him, federal commitment to sanitation efforts declined in 2023, stalling ODF initiatives. He added that only ₦15 billion was invested in sanitation infrastructure from 2018 to 2022, despite an annual funding requirement of ₦168.75 billion.
    Akinleye attributed the persistence of open defecation and poor sanitation services to inadequate funding, stating that only 17% of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas (LGAs) have achieved Open Defecation Free (ODF) status.
    He noted that only ₦15 billion was invested from 2018 to 2022, against an annual funding requirement of ₦168.75 billion
    “Federal commitment declined since 2023, resulting in stalled ODF initiatives,” he said.

    Rebecca Gabriel, a WASH Specialist with UNICEF’s Enugu office, emphasized the importance of collective action to address the sanitation crisis. She urged governments and private individuals to increase investments in sanitation infrastructure, especially in public places such as schools and markets.
    “Toilets should be built in Schools, and other public places to reduce ODF. Everyone must be involved including government and public spirited individuals; so we can achieve zero ODF in every state of Nigeria,” Gabriel stated.

    What you should know
    In a bid to combat open defecation and improve sanitation, Lagos State Government has approved the construction of 100 new public toilets across the state as part of the state’s broader Resilience Strategy, which aims to ensure that every Local Government and Local Council Development Area has accessible public toilets and bathrooms.

    Vice President Kashim Shettima urged state governors to step up their efforts in making Nigeria open-defecation-free within the next five years. He stressed that every action towards ending open defecation will not only improve public health but also enhance productivity,

  • Malaria vaccine rollout to begin in Kebbi, Bayelsa states on December 2 – NPHCDA

    Malaria vaccine rollout to begin in Kebbi, Bayelsa states on December 2 – NPHCDA

    The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has announced that the long-awaited malaria vaccination campaign will commence in Kebbi and Bayelsa states on December 2, 2024.

    According to the NPHCDA, this initiative forms part of Nigeria’s continued efforts to curb the devastating impact of malaria, which remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the country.

    Dr. Muyi Aina, Executive Director of the NPHCDA, shared details of the campaign during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
    He noted that the malaria vaccine, which has shown promising results in trials, would be administered to children under the age of five in both states.

    According to Aina, the vaccine will enhance current malaria prevention strategies, including the distribution of insecticide-treated nets and the provision of antimalarial drugs.

    He described the introduction of the vaccine as a significant milestone in the country’s fight against malaria.

    “The launch of the malaria vaccine in Kebbi and Bayelsa states marks a crucial step forward in our collective efforts to eliminate malaria, a disease that continues to pose a major public health challenge,” he said.

    Reaching 1.5 million children
    Aina explained that the vaccination will target an estimated 1.5 million children in the two states, with health workers visiting homes and health centres to administer the vaccine.

    “The program will receive support from state governments and international partners, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF,” he said.

    Aina urged residents of Kebbi and Bayelsa to actively participate in the vaccination drive, emphasizing its safety, efficacy, and importance in achieving Nigeria’s malaria elimination goals.

    “The introduction of the malaria vaccine is part of Nigeria’s broader strategy to reduce malaria cases by 40% by 2030, in alignment with the World Health Organization’s global malaria strategy,” he explained.

    Vaccine rollout builds on new milestone
    Nigeria’s malaria vaccine rollout follows the recent introduction of a vaccine developed by Oxford University and produced by the Serum Institute of India and Novavax.

    Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate confirmed that the country has already received 846,200 doses, with an additional 153,800 expected, bringing the total to one million doses.

    Malaria remains a deadly challenge: Malaria, which causes over 600,000 deaths annually, continues to be a major health challenge for Nigeria, accounting for 31% of global malaria deaths. The free vaccine marks a significant step in reducing these alarming statistics.