Kogi, two others listed for Bill Gates’ $1m Grant for Immunisation

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The Kogi State Government is among the beneficiaries of the $1 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation to improve on immunisation and maternal mortality

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Idris Omede, who stated this yesterday during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Gate Foundation (MoU), said the grant was the reward from the Foundation for being among the three best performing states in the country in the fight against polio eradication.

He said that during the 2012 immunisation performance assessment by the Foundation, Kogi had eight out of the 14 indicators of the assessment, adding that the state took the third position among the 36 states of the federation and first position in the North-Central.

The granted will enable the state to meet its health challenges in terms of infrastructure development and equipment for immunisation.

It will also be used to improve on immunisation and maternal mortality.

The state has paid its counterpart fund to be able to draw from the money.

Also speaking, the Foundation’s Project Director, Dr. Hajo Sani, said the grant was given to the state based on its performance in polio eradication.

She said the initial grant was $500,000 and to access it, the state would pay its counterpart fund of $250,000 and that after the payment, the Foundation would add additional $250,000 bringing the total grant to $1 million.

Dr Hajo, who also the Project representative for Society for Family Health, urged the state to utilise the fund for the purpose it was meant.