Dangote boosts fight against measles with $.5m

The Dangote Foundation has contributed $500,000 through the United Nations Children’s Fund to support the Federal Government’s response to the recent measles outbreak that affected many
states in Nigeria.

The foundation made the commitment when a delegation of UNICEF led by the Country-Representative, Ms. Jean Gough, visited the President of Dangote Foundation, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, in Lagos.

Gough said, “Public/private sector interventions such as these in the health sector and other sectors such as water, early childhood development are the way forward for Nigeria to improve the well-being of Nigeria children.

“The grant is a major contribution to government’s fight against measles, which is among the leading causes of child deaths in Nigeria, especially in areas where immunisation coverage is low. As we are aware, the trend of measles follows a seasonal pattern with periods of high transmission (January to June with peaks in March) and low transmission (July to December).”

Gough  praised the DF for the exemplary leadership being provided in Nigeria’s effort to tackle vaccine preventable diseases such as measles, polio and to improve primary health care services.

The grant from Dangote Foundation, Gough noted, would be used to support the measles campaign by the Ministry of Health and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency for the procurement of 1.7 million doses of measles vaccine.

Dangote said the issue of health and safe living was a core responsibility in the discharge of the corporate social responsibility of the foundation.

He said, “We have a common synergy with UNICEF in the areas of health, education and nutrition and we hope that our efforts will encourage even more members of the organised private sector to engage with on-going efforts to improve the well-being of Nigerians.”