No fewer than 30, 000 residents in Nasarawa State have so far taken a jab of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in the state.
The Commissioner for Health, Ahmed Yahaya, made the disclosure during a news conference on Wednesday in Lafia to mark the World Health Day.
He said that out of the 61,000 doses received from the Federal Government, more than 30,000 have been administered to the people.
He said that those who received the vaccines included frontline health workers, government officials and traditional rulers among others.
“We are wining the war against COVID-19, the number of those receiving the vaccines are encouraging.
“As the world marks the World Health Day, the World Health Organisation is calling on every one to participate in building a fairer and healthier world.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown a light on inequalities between people, amid shortage of essential supplies.
“As underprivileged people have been pushed to the back of the queue in accessing COVID-19 test kits, personal protective equipment and now vaccines.
“Out of 548 million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered worldwide, only 11 million or 2 per cent have been in Africa, whereas the continent accounts for around 17 per cent of the global population.
“There are several shades of inequalities, discrimination based on gender, place of residence, income, educational level, age, ethnicity and disability intersect to disadvantage vulnerable populations,” he said.
Yahaya noted that investment was needed to accelerate progress towards universal health coverage to protect individuals from financial hardship in accessing needed healthcare.
The commissioner said that leaders needed to work together to address inequalities in their own countries and abroad in the spirit of International solidarity.
He encouraged pharmaceutical companies to expand their manufacturing capacities to overcome current supply shortages.
“We also encourage wealthy individuals to partner with the state, so that the most -at- risk populations can be protected , to save lives and speed-up the recovery from this global crisis,” he added.
He called on all state and non- state actors, partners, civil society, communities and other stakeholders to intensify work with the state to achieve universal health coverage.
The commissioner assured that the ministry would continue to remain committed to ensuring that all people in the state have the right to good health.( NAN)
