Adamawa Govt Releases N450m Counterpart Funding for 2025 Immunisation Drive – ADSPHCDA Chairman

By Umar Dankano, Yola

The Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ADSPHCDA) has finalised arrangements to kick off the 2025 National Immunisation Plus Days, featuring two rounds of oral polio vaccine across the state.

Executive Chairman of the Agency, Dr Suleiman Bashir Sa’idu, disclosed this in Yola on Wednesday during a media engagement themed “Mass Media Dialogue with Journalists, Social Media Youth Influencers and Partners”.

Dr. Sa’idu explained that the exercise is designed to strengthen routine immunisation and build a stronger defence mechanism against vaccine-preventable diseases, especially among children.

He commended development partners, particularly UNICEF, for their continued support and collaboration.

The chairman noted that increased global and domestic travel by Nigerians has heightened the risk of disease importation, making sustained vaccination critical to protecting the population, with special emphasis on children.

Dr Sa’idu urged parents and guardians to present their children for vaccination and to cooperate fully with health workers whenever they visit homes or communities.

He revealed that the state government has demonstrated strong commitment by releasing substantial counterpart funds to partners.

“Just yesterday, we transmitted N150 million — N100 million to UNICEF and N50 million to UNFPA. In June, we also released N300 million to UNICEF to procure essential nutrients for children in the state,” he said.

The chairman added that the state has already budgeted and committed N450 million as counterpart funding for immunisation and primary health care activities in 2025.

Earlier, the Director of Disease Control and Immunisation, Dr James Vasumu, praised the media for its pivotal role in the agency’s successes, saying the extensive coverage by print, electronic, and social media influencers has significantly boosted public acceptance of immunisation programmes.

He called for sustained partnership with journalists, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and development partners.

Speaking on behalf of the media, former Adamawa NUJ Chairman, Umar Dankano, thanked the agency for recognising journalists as key partners in health care delivery.

He reaffirmed the commitment of journalists in the state to continue promoting the agency’s activities whenever the need arises, in order to contribute to the overall development of Adamawa State.