Preliminary results from direct-to-facility vaccine deliveries in Kano, Nigeria

Although vaccination remains one of the most cost effective life-saving public health interventions, immunization coverage rates in Nigeria remain low and inequitable, with northern zones of the country significantly under-performing southern zones. As such, Nigeria remains a large contributor to the global burden of vaccine preventable diseases and associated childhood deaths. Weak vaccine supply chains that fail to guarantee reliable and uninterrupted availability of vaccines at service delivery points are widely recognized as a key barrier to immunization system performance in Nigeria and elsewhere. An Effective Vaccine Management (EVM) assessment of Nigeria’s vaccine supply chain revealed significant weaknesses, with only one out of nine assessed criteria achieving the P80% threshold between 2010 and 2014. Read more