By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
An international Non-Governmental Organization named New Incentives – All Babies Are Equal (NI-ABAE) has said that it has enrolled over 450,000 infants under its Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme, where it gave caregivers of enrolled infants the sum of over N1.2 billion between 2017 to date.
The programme is aimed at reduction of child mortality through cost-effective and evidence-based health intervention.
NI-ABAE disburses cash incentives to caregivers conditional on infants receiving five vaccines: BCG (against tuberculosis), PENTA (against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenza type b), PCV (against pneumococcal disease), and MCV 1&2 (against measles).
As a result of the cash transfers which compensates for transport, lost trading income, and waiting time while creating behavioural change through awareness of routine immunizations. An independent impact assessment of NI-ABAE’s CCTs for RI program (201behavioralound that the program increases the likelihood that children would be fully immunized by 27 percentage points, and increases rates of individual vaccinations by 14 to 21 percentage points.
In a communique issued on the recent visit of the National Partners of New Incentive-All Babies Is Equal Initiative monitoring visit to Katsina and Jigawa it said, beyond vaccination, the assessment found that the program comprised to improved knowledge about vaccination among caregivers in the catchment areas served by the program.
The NGO’s partnerships with relevant Government agencies in the health sector at national, state, and local government levels have helped immensely in improving the demand generation for routine immunization and other supply-side supports for the routine immunization system.
And that NI-ABAE has received commitments of over $29 million of funding over the next 3 years to reach over 1 million caregivers and their infants in Jigawa, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Bauchi, Gombe, and the Kano States.
This covers expansion to 65 LGAs inclusive of the current 27 intervening LGAs with continued operations through December 2024.
Resolutions contained in the communique signed on the 10th day of February 2022 states that:
“The New Incentives – All Babies Are Equal Initiative will continue to align its programs and policies including routine immunization plans and priorities with the Government of Nigeria at all levels.
Immunization is one of the most effective public health interventions, saving 2 to 3 million lives yearly (WHO). Evidence suggests a 27 percentage points increase in the likelihood that children will be fully immunized by a Conditional Cash Transfer for routine immunization program (NI-ABAE RCT Impact Assessment 2017-2020).
The New Incentives – All Babies Are Equal Initiative will continue to support demand creation and other components of routine immunization in the 5 States and by proxy at the national level.
New Incentives – All Babies Are Equal Initiative will continue to provide transparent and regular updates to all stakeholders and also provide support on routine immunization, health, and social protection.
The communique was signed by;
Edward Iyamu – Senior Scientific Officer Child Health Division, Federal Ministry of Health
Adetokunboh Aderoju – National Co-responsibility Officer, National Cash Transfer Office
Gabriel Ikechuckwu – Monitoring and Evaluation Division Federal Ministry of Health
Ugwuegbu Ifeoma Augustina. – Chief Health Education Officer Health Promotion Division Federal Ministry of Health
Zara Shettima- Assistant Chief Executive Officer (General Duty) – Research and Knowledge Management Division Federal Ministry of Health
Ogbonna Michael Ihechi – Senior Population Programme Officer – Health System strengthening Division Federal Ministry of Health
Ahmed Ohunene Amina – Senior Administrative Officer Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning
Anieheobi Frances Chinwe – Higher Executive Officer Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning
Aminu Inuwa Mohammed – Director Programs Sultan Foundation
Aminu Danmalam – NI-ABAE Advisor
Nasir Ahmad Roni – CCO, North West Zonal NPHCDA Kano
Ayodele Alegbeleye – National Partnership Officer, NI-ABAE
Nura Muhammad – Stakeholders Relation Director, NI-ABAE
