Kaduna Launches Initiative to Fix Last-Mile Vaccine Delivery, Boost Immunization Equity
By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna
Kaduna State has moved to overhaul how life-saving vaccines reach communities with the launch of the Direct Delivery of Routine Immunization Vaccines and Other Primary Health Care Commodities for Equity (DRIVE) Initiative, a bold reform aimed at eliminating stock-outs and closing access gaps in routine immunization.
The programme, spearheaded by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency with support from UNICEF and implemented in collaboration with the Kaduna State Government, is designed to ensure that vaccines and essential PHC commodities are delivered directly to health facilities, particularly in rural, hard-to-reach, and underserved communities.
Representing the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Hajiya Umma K. Ahmed, the Director of Public Health, Sadiq Idris, described the initiative as a game-changer for healthcare delivery.
He conveyed the goodwill of Governor Uba Sani, noting that the DRIVE Initiative signals a shift from traditional supply chain models to a more efficient, accountable, and equitable system.
According to him, persistent challenges such as delayed distribution, stock-outs, and limited access in remote areas have long undermined immunization efforts. The new approach, he said, directly tackles these barriers by ensuring vaccines are delivered straight to facilities where they are needed most.
“This is about strengthening the last mile,” he stated, adding that routine immunization remains one of the most effective public health tools for preventing disease and safeguarding the future of children.
Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Primary Healthcare Development Board, Professor Bello Jamoh, said the national flag-off in Kaduna reflects the state’s leadership in primary healthcare reform.
He noted that the initiative complements ongoing efforts to improve supply chain systems and enhance service delivery, especially in communities that have historically struggled with access to vaccines.
By reducing delays and improving accountability in distribution, he said, the initiative would enhance the reliability and quality of immunization services across the state.
Providing insight into the reform, Director of Logistics at the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Pharmacist Hauwa Tense, revealed that gaps in last-mile delivery had significantly affected vaccine availability in recent years.
She pointed out that Nigeria’s vaccine distribution system recorded only a 69 percent performance score at facility level in 2021, highlighting the urgent need for a structured and predictable delivery system.
The DRIVE Initiative responds to this challenge by institutionalizing direct vaccine delivery from state cold stores to equipped facilities and introducing a cascade mechanism to serve facilities without cold chain infrastructure.
It also embeds accountability through temperature monitoring, GPS tracking, and structured reporting systems to ensure vaccines arrive potent and on schedule.
“This initiative restores reliability to the system and removes the burden from frontline health workers who previously had to fund vaccine transportation themselves,” she said.
Also speaking, Chief of Field Office for UNICEF Kaduna, Dr. Gerida Birukila, emphasized the need for community ownership to sustain the gains of the programme.
She acknowledged the contributions of partners including Gavi and the Republic of South Korea in strengthening immunization systems.
However, she warned that protecting critical infrastructure remains essential, noting that incidents of vandalism have threatened primary healthcare assets in some areas.
Solar-powered refrigerators used to preserve vaccines, she explained, are highly valuable — costing up to $7,000 — and their loss could disrupt immunization services for entire communities.
She urged communities to take responsibility for safeguarding the equipment, stressing that the resources are meant to serve them.
Other partners at the event described the initiative as more than a logistics intervention, positioning it as a systemic reform that will improve vaccine access, reduce zero-dose children, and strengthen public confidence in the healthcare system.
With the rollout set to extend nationwide, Kaduna’s leadership in launching the DRIVE Initiative signals a renewed commitment to ensuring that no child is denied life-saving vaccines due to logistical failures.
