Stakeholders in the health sector have lamented the non-inclusion of the counterpart funding for the procurement of vaccines from the World Health Organisation (WHO), which has been put at N3 billion, in the 2017 Budget.

This was part of issues tabled for discussion on Thursday in Abuja when officials of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, WHO and the Vaccine Alliance also known as GAVI, appeared before the Senate Committee on Primary Health and Communicable Diseases chaired by Senator Mao Ohuabunwa.

The CEO of the Vaccine Alliance, Serth Berkley lamented that Nigeria has the highest number of unimmunised children in the world. This he attributed to the country’s dilapidated healthcare system and misuse of funds.‎‎

Responding, Senator Ohuabunwa assured Nigerians that funds for procurement of vaccines will be included in a supplementary budget.

While appealing to GAVI not to relent in its support for the procurement of vaccines for Nigerians, Ohuabunwa said the Federal Government is committed to increasing the budgetary allocation to the health sector as stipulated in the Abuja Declaration which prescribes 15 percent allocation to health.‎