COVID-19 vaccines: Bill Gates backs Yahaya Bello’s position on prioritising healthcare
- Bill Gates has advised the Nigerian government to focus on improving the country's weak healthcare sector
- The American philanthropist and renowned global billionaire made the comment while interacting with select journalists
- The position of Gates corroborates with that of Kogi state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello
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Microsoft co-founder, Bill Gates, says Nigeria does not need to spend too much on acquiring COVID-19 vaccines but should rather focus more on revitalising the weak and underfunded health sector, especially the country's primary health care centres.
Gates said this while responding to a question posed by a Punch journalist during an interview with select African journalists on Tuesday, January 26.
The position of Gates is similar to that of Governor Yahaya Bello who said last month that what Nigeria needs is a heavy investment in healthcare infrastructure instead of devoting billions of naira to the procurement of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Source: Twitter
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The Kogi state governor has always maintained an uncompromising position on the need to reposition the healthcare facilities of the nation to deal with epidemics and pandemics.
Gates said:
“There is no doubt that the impact of putting money into the health system particularly the primary healthcare system will be very high in terms of saving children’s lives and you are absolutely right.
“Nigeria should not divert the very limited money that it has for health into trying to pay a high price for COVID vaccines.”
Governor Bello had told journalists one month ago that the need of Nigeria is improved medicare, guaranteed by state-of-the-art facilities.
Meanwhile, the UN Women has commended Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state for his efforts in ensuring the inclusiveness and greater participation of women in politics in the state.
The UN Women commended the governor for building an inclusive and gender-sensitive local governance system in Kogi through the appointment of women as vice-chairpersons in all the 21 local government areas of the state.
Recall that in the latest Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation annual newsletter, Gates sounded a crucial warning to world leaders about the pandemic to come after the coronavirus.
The billionaire maintained that while everyone across the world is deserving of the scientific breakthroughs of the preceding year, it is not an error to start now to prepare for the next pandemic.
Gates further said his foundation was in the leading position to ensuring that third-world and developing nations lay their hands on available vaccines.
Legit.ng had listed 10 important facts from health experts concerning the COVID-19 vaccine.
Source: Legit.ng
