As part of its global humanitarian activities, Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation, in partnership with Dangote Foundation, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the governments Kano and Yobe states. The aim is to boost primary health care delivery in the two states.
The signing of the agreement which was witnessed by a large collection of major stakeholders various countries, was a follow up to earlier agreement entered into by the two Foundations and governments of the two states.
Under the new agreement, the management of the Foundations will be partnering governments of each of the two states to float a funding basket to be used in financing Primary HealthCare Delivery in rural areas of the two states.
Each of the two Foundations is contributing 40 percent of the Funds into the new Basket, to be put in place under the agreement in each of the two states, while, the governments of each of the states are to individually contribute the remaining 20 percent.
Speaking via teleconference during the signing ceremony held at the Africa House section of Kano Government House, Bill Gate, founder of Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation, said the new funding window which the agreement will usher in is geared at accelerating the routine immunization among children below five years old in the two states.
Gate, also disclosed that the new financing opportunity which the agreement offers will help in providing finance for delivery of high quality immunization of children against childhood diseases such as polio, and others.
“Such cost-effective interventions can significantly reduce maternal and newborn mortality. Further improvements are also possible through the development of new tools and technologies that enable earlier, faster, and more accurate assessment of gestational age and diagnosis and treatment of dangerous conditions, including measures to prevent preterm death.
“Increasing the coverage of family planning services, especially among high-risk adolescent girls, can help significantly reduce maternal and newborn mortality. Improvement in the quality of antenatal and postpartum services can help strengthen the link between family planning and maternal and newborn health,” the billionaire explained.
Gates stated that the partnership in area of healthcare delivery entered between the two Foundations and the Governments of the two states which started four years ago, has tremendously impacted positively on health care delivery in the states.
He commended the governments of the two states, as well as traditional institutions, and other stakeholders for the achievements recorded so far, and described this year (2017) ‘as very critical’ in the on-going global campaign against some identified childhood diseases.
In his address to the occasion, Aliko Dangote urged the governments of the two benefiting states to ensure that the Financial Book of the special intervention programme funded by the Foundations which ended last year is audited.
Dangote, particularly, want the government of Yobe state to improve on it data generation capability, as well as delivery of High Quality immunization activities in the Local Government Areas liberated from the insurgency.
Also speaking, Governor Umar Abdullahi Ganduje thanked the two Foundations and other stakeholders for the support rendered to the state which has greatly assisted in improving overall health care delivery in the state.
He highlighted some the milestone achievements so far made under his administration which includes completing two major Specialist Hospitals for designated for Children and Women in the state
In attendance at the signing of the MoU were the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi 11, as well as, the Emir of Fika, among others
