By Ndidi Chukwu
The Kaduna State Accountability Mechanism for Maternal Newborn and Child Health (KADMaM) and Community Health and Research Initiative (CHR), have has called on the state government to be transparent and accountable on Routine Immunization (RI) funding expenditure for 2016.
In a scorecard validation meeting organized by KADMaM and CHR under the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH) project, the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) observed that the state RI working group meeting did not had adequate representation of state CSOs to indicate transparency in immunization planning
activities in the state.
The scoring in the CHR/PACFaH January-June 2016 Routine Immunization Budget Scorecard for Kaduna State, has an indicator on Accountability and Transparency which tracks number of RI working group meetings held monthly with CSOs participation.
Kaduna State scored RED which indicates poor and inadequate involvement of CSOs in the RI activities.
The CSOs however called for accountability and transparency in expenditure as number of Routine Immunization Working Group meetings held monthly did not reach required number.
CHR/PACFaH Program Manager, Ibrahim Ladan Wunti who presented the scorecards in the validation meeting, said the scorecard is developed in the PACFaH project to strengthen accountability and transparency, to use it for evidenced based advocacy around immunization financing and programs in the states.
“The essence of the development of the biannual state routine immunization budget scorecard is, to fast track funds allocation, releases, expenditure, transparency and accountability on RI in the MoU states and for states who are yet to reach the minimum standard for RI funding to learn and improve on what they are doing to save the lives of children,” Ibrahim said.
In his response, KADMaM co-chair, Abubarkar Jumare, said that KADMaM is pushing for CSOs recognition and involvement in state Immunization working meetings, which he said will strengthen transparency and accountability in funds expenditure.
Our correspondent report that, Kaduna state performed well in the scoring on the existence of RI budget code.
On indicator for Adequate Routine Immunization finances appropriated, the state also scored GREEN, indicating that the funding needs for immunization in Kaduna state has been met in the quarter under-review.
The state also scored GREEN for indicators on state Ministry of Finance adherence to agreed timelines for the release of Immunization funds, as well as percentage released as compared to allocation.
