Secretary of State Antony Blinken participates in Virtual U.S.-Nigeria Health Partnership Event.

Transcript

Secretary Blinken and colleagues. Friends Dr Chua. Professor Ahmed. Welcome Mary Beth Leonard, the U. S. Ambassador to Nigeria and it’s my honor to welcome the U. S. Secretary of State. That will be it virtually to Nigeria. And a big thank you to everyone joining us for this virtual event. Mr. Secretary here at us. Mr Nigeria. We are so immensely proud of our partnership with the Nigerian government in the health sector. Our assistance saves lives every day. COVID-19 presented new challenges in the United States responded, contributing more than $73 million dollars in equipment and technical assistance. Since the start of the pandemic. This is secretary, we’re honored to have you with us and for the opportunity to share with you a bit about our partnership in health. So without further Ado I would like to turn the virtual night over to Mr. Tony Blinken. The United States 71st Secretary of State. Well thank you all for joining us for this conversation. And uh let me start by thanking you Ambassador Leonard deeply appreciate uh all the work that you’re doing and for helping to bring us together today. And uh Dr. Schwab from Nigeria’s primary health care development agency, professor Ahmed from the Federal Medical Center in Abuja. Everyone who contributes to the health partnership between Nigeria and the United States. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Let me just say a few words to get started and I’m eager to hear from some of our friends today. But you know, the outset, the relationship between Nigeria in the United States covers a vast array of issues that are vital to both the Nigerian and the American people. A key issue that we’ve worked on together for years is health. Together, we’ve reached more than 60 million Nigerians through programs that train public health workers, invest in medical facilities and improve access to medicines, vaccines, reproductive health care. More than 1.3 million people with HIV AIDS are on life saving treatment through the U. S. Program to combat HIV AIDS around the world, pepfar and what a remarkable achievement that the program is rapidly closing in on an epidemic on epidemic control. Excuse me. Over the next two years in Nigeria Together we brought child death rates from malaria down 16%. That’s a remarkable achievement. And last year the World Health Organization officially declared Nigeria wild polio virus free an outstanding accomplishment by tireless frontline workers from the United States, was proud to support through the Global polio Eradication Initiative. Now, of course, we’re facing another health crisis. Together, The COVID-19 pandemic won’t end for any country until it ends for all countries. Otherwise, the virus will keep replicating around the world and turning into new variants. People will keep getting sick and dying and we won’t be able to safely reopen our economies or travel around the world for business and tourism. The way we used to, that’s why the United States is committed to helping end the pandemic in Nigeria. And everywhere we contributed $2 billion to kovacs, the global Covid vaccine initiative. We promised another two billion between now and 2022 as other countries also raise their ambitions. I’m very pleased that COVID-19 vaccines provided by Kovacs have arrived in Nigeria and I’m proud that dozens of people from the U. S. Government Have been working with local and national partners in Nigeria to respond to COVID-19. from the beginning of the pandemic, we’re collaborating on epidemiology, outbreak response, lab operations, data analytics, vaccine deployment. It’s a continuation of our $5 billion public health. And it’s a testament to the strong and respectful relationship that we built over the years between our countries and between the Nigerian and American people. When crazy strike, we’re there for each other in the months and years ahead. Our ability to collaborate to improve the health of all Nigerians will be vital. That’s why today’s conversation is important. I want to convey to all of you how grateful and proud the United States is of our partnership and health with Nigeria and I want to learn more about our work together because it’s as urgent as ever with that. Let me pass the microphone back to you ambassador Leonard to lead our conversation. Thank you so much. Secretary Blinken. Now I’d like to introduce dr chua, who is the executive director and Ceo of the national Primary Health Care Development Agency in Nigeria. Dr Schwab is a longtime friend and partner of the US. mission and virtually all aspects of our health programs. Nearly four million vaccine doses from the Kovacs facility arrived in Nigeria in March two and to date over 1.4 million people have been vaccinated. His doctor shockwaves agency that oversees the provision of vaccines the Nigerian. So Dr. Schreiber, thank you for taking the time to join us and over to you dr. Thank you very much, madam Ambassador and thank you very much. Secretary linking for uh the honor of being part of this program. Uh As of today we have been able to vaccinate uh up to 1.4 million Nigerians with the kovacs with the Covid 19 vaccine. That is just 500,000 people shy of. Uh the two million people will want to vaccinate in the first phase because we’ve been able to get four million doses of the covid 19 vaccine, The AstraZeneca vaccine. We plan to give uh both doses to those individuals. And then when we get additional vaccines we are keenly aware that while Nigerian got four million doses as a result of the collaboration through the kovacs facility which couldn’t couldn’t have been possible without the support of the U. S. Government. We know that many other countries are still haven’t accessed the vaccine. This is why the collaboration of the U. S. Government which many other government under the platform of kovacs, is very very critical if we’re going to end this pandemic, we are very pleased to announce that as a result of the collaboration which the U. S. C. D. C. We’ve been able to come up with a hybrid solution in terms of our roll out of the Covid 19 vaccines. So not only are we using traditional methods uh by asking our health workers to come to the health facility and get their vaccines, but we’ve also learned from what has happened in the United States in terms of using electronic data technology to invite people to schedule uh, vaccinations and because of the support from the infinite and the U. S. C. D. C. As it were, we’ve been able to push these types of technology so that in the future will be able to have a routine immunization data system that will have learned from the rollout of the Covid 19 vaccines. One thing that we’ve seen in the last couple of weeks has been a gradual overcoming of vaccine. Hesitancy vaccine. Hesitancy, as you’re well aware is a global phenomenon and the same types of solutions are required that we do not dismiss their concerns, that we do not ridicule people who have questions but that we listen that inasmuch as we’re offering, the vaccines will also take the time to explain, to provide information to this vaccine, hesitant, and that is what we see is beginning to make us turn the corner in terms of this vaccine hesitancy, we’ve learned a lot from the polio Eradication program. Again, the United States has been a very strong partner in that amazing and compelling story of how partnership and solidarity can help us overcome Covid 19. Just like we’ve done with the wild poliovirus is we’ve been able to mobilize community leaders, local leaders, religious leaders to speak in favor of Covid 19 vaccines and also offer themselves to take the vaccines lessons from work. Wild poliovirus eradication is going to be very instrumental in how we end up strengthening primary health care and the collaboration between our governments is very, very key in the next few months. Hopefully by the end of the uh July we’re hoping uh to uh to roll out a summit on primary health care and health health systems strengthening. And I’m hopeful that along the lines of the uh decades of collaboration in the health sector that exists between the United States and Nigeria, that will be able to invite our partners around the table to help us strengthen the health system in Nigeria. So that with every crisis we don’t have to worry about the number of people who are going to lose their lives. So I am really, really appreciative and I bring you greetings from the Federal Ministry of Health. And I hope that this engagement today will just be the beginning uh honorable secretary uh that so that we can continue to have conversations around how we can strengthen our partnership and improve the health of our citizens. Thank you very much for this opportunity. Doctor, thank you both for your your leadership, the collaboration uh and I think the uh great wisdom you’re bringing to this and I think for all of us, um drawing the lessons of past experience and applying them to the challenges facing today, uh looking at best practices, uh all of that is the way we make progress. So I’m really grateful for for what you’re doing and the way you’re doing it. Indeed. Thank you. Dr Schweitzer, Mr. Secretary. I’d now like to introduce Dr. chew, the head of the department for Internal Medicine at the Federal Medical Center in Abuja. Doctor who plays a leadership role in encouraging health workers to get vaccinated. As a side note. After attending medical school in Nigeria, she came to the United States completing her residency in internal medicine at Michigan state University and a fellowship in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at the University of Washington. As U. S. Ambassador. I’m so thrilled she brought her talents and medical knowledge back to Nigeria in the Fmc. So, Mr. Secretary over to you and the doctor Kruger. Well doctor, thank you. Thanks for joining us today and thank you for your service um on vaccines. I understand that just like in the United States and around the world, Nigeria is dealing with some misinformation that makes people reluctant to get vaccinated. Uh And we just heard from our colleague about some of the efforts um underway to deal with that with that challenge. But I’m curious for your view on what we can do to encourage Nigerians, especially health workers uh to get the vaccine. What have you found to be most effective? Thank you. Mr. Secretary. Being at the forefront of COVID-19. We saw the devastation caused by COVID-19. So um when they version came out it was very exhilarating and exciting. We started in our hospital with fascinating our cmd processor hard and the heads of departments so that we’re able to encourage other health care workers to get vaccinated because with that it gave us a lot of confidence to be able to take care of our patients. Um we saw with great scare how people died and how healthcare workers were very much afraid of COVID-19. But now with the vaccine we are more confident and able to um give our patients the best care that they require. So, you know the saying says uh do as you preach. So we got ourselves vaccinated first, given our own healthcare workers the example needed. And we’re also able to communicate and have continued to communicate with them about the continued need for all of them to get vaccinated so that we can all get herd immunity and be able to take care of our patients. Apart from even the healthcare workers. We have been able to also communicate with leaders in the country and the church leaders, the Muslim leaders to talk to our people so that the misinformation about uh the vaccination is reduced. And now a lot of people are coming out to take their other scenes. And we’ve also made it seamlessly possible for them to get vaccinated. We’ve reduced the wait time for them even for those of them who were not able to register online when they come to the site were able to register them so that you know everybody gets fascinated. But thank you so much. Mr. Secretary. Well doctor thank you so much and I’ve got to say I know we’ve had the same experience in in both our countries. The frontline healthcare workers are literally heroic and they have been throughout this pandemic and it’s very very good to hear what uh what you had to say and uh to see what what works in terms of overcoming some of the hesitancy. So I’m really encouraged by that and thank you for everything you’re doing every day. Thank you. Mr. Secretary Ambassador Levitte thank you and indeed thank you so much. Doctor thank you for taking the time to speak with us. Nigeria’s prosperity depends on the health of people, it depends on the health of all of its people. So equal access to health care is a hallmark of all of our health programs ensuring that we reach the most vulnerable populations who may not otherwise seek health services due to stigma and discrimination. So today we’re proud to have a beneficiary of our Pepfar program. Peter a bang The Pepfar program has provided care and service to Peter for the past two years and we will reach epidemic control because we are reaching people like you. Peter, thank you for your courage and speaking with us today, Mr. Secretary, I know you will be as inspired as I was to hear Peter’s story over to you and Peter well, thank you, Ambassador and Peter, thank you very, very much for for being here. I want to ask you about Pepfar because this program is so important to us and I have to say, I think President Bush and his leadership in putting this program together is really one of the finest achievements uh in American foreign policy in uh in recent years. It’s something I’m tremendously proud of as an American. Uh but I don’t get enough opportunities myself to ask people who actually get services through pepfar what their experience is like. So I appreciate your willingness to share some of this with us today, but how have those services affected you and your own quality of life. Thank you. Mr. Secretary. My name is Peter Album from Cross River State. I’m HIV positive 25 years old. A gay man. I came in contact with perfect program in the year 2018, August 18. And ever since I’ve come in contact with that program, it has been marvelous program in my life. The third program has transformed my life. I came in contact with them in a court evening when I and my friend went out for and drink at the joints. So enriching there, we saw a group of health workers having a moonlight testing so my friend advice we should go. How about, I don’t know, that’s know as teachers. Reaching day after the round the taste, I became positive. I was devastated. I don’t know what to do. I thought my whole life has gone down. But luckily for me, my friend never discriminated me. He never looked down on me rather he was encouraging me. And the lady in charge of the test, she said that is not the end of the world. If only I will agree to start my treatment immediately. The following day, she called me to come to the community center where the placement and treatment I follow with my treatment. When I go there, I was so excited to see my community people because it’s obvious for you to see your fellow, your sexual partner in our country. But when I get to the community center, I saw people I love people would love to. I saw a new family that I’ve never met before, the community center. So I began to interaction with the doctor, the lab scientist. They were so friendly to me. So I was like if I just start this treatment how like be able to raise money to pay for the program for the treatment when that. So they have told me everything here is free. I was like wow, I’m so honored to be here for everything to be free. And along the line I became because I was ignorant of what I am because I believe in with this virus for the past how many years without noticing it. But have I broken come into my life. They hope materialized that. Yes, this is what is troubling me and I have to take it up and with that I have also have a problem. I have a partner that I don’t want to lose so I don’t know how to tell my partner I’m HIV positive. So when I related into the doctor the doctor circulated my personal number invited. My partner had my partner stone. Somebody does my personal became positive. Everything went for because he was placed on treatment. The joiner is that my viral load is very suppressed in a sense that I cannot transmit it. Peppered program has helped me a lot in a sense that they organized uh support group for us wherever we come together with Jesus to play games and they tell us more about how very collection will be taken and how to place it, condoms lubricants were easy accessories because and along the line I started bringing people from a community, the community center for them to know their status and to know where they belong. Because the more with the more we keep on time ignorantly, the motive virus is spreading. But the more we get our status, the mobile, you just a bit of virus in the community and thank you so much. The program has been so wonderful to me because I end up being a community leader. I was employed to the help of this program. Thank you so much. Mr. Secretary. My thanks to you Peter for for sharing all of that. I deeply, deeply appreciated and I think your words as people hear them are going to have an impact on other lives. So I’m really grateful to you for uh for sharing that and really thankful that as well that uh we could uh we could be part of this and and we could be helpful. Uh Mary Beth Yes, indeed. Thank you Peter so much for sharing your story with us. So we hope others draw courage and strength from your example. Mr. Secretary Hope with this brief time you’ve been able to get a glimpse of the breadth and the depth of our health partnerships here in Nigeria before closing, I want to thank the Federal Medical Center facilitating this event and also thank professor at Met the chief medical director and his team. Professor, thank you and over to you. Thank you Ambassador uhh first or the tank, the Secretary of State for visiting Fmc Abuja virtually. We hope and pray that someday we welcome you physically in our facility. FFC Abuja is one of the centers that are active against vaccination against covid 19. And uh over the years our staff have taken part in many community linked programs of the U. S. Government in Nigeria, like in areas of routine immunization, HIV AIDS and Madonna and Child Health Services. I want to specifically thank the U. S. Government For donating a 40 bet negative pressure hospital field hospital facility that has been installed in Fmc Abuja for the management of infectious diseases. I want to say that Fmc Abuja stands ready to collaborate with the U. S. Government in community related health services in Nigeria. Thank you. Well Professor Ahmed, thank you. Thank you very much and I want to thank everyone for for making the time for this conversation today. I’m really humbled by the determination and courage of Nigeria’s health care workers. I’m very proud of the decades long partnership in Health and grateful to all the Nigerian and american people who’ve made it possible. Um I want you to know that the United States will keep standing with Nigeria to implement effective health care initiatives for the Nigerian people and I’m confident we’ll keep achieving good things together. Um Thank you all very, very much. Oh, thank you. And we so appreciate the opportunity to share our progress and programs with you. Mr. Secretary, thank you and thanks to all of you have participated today and for your work to improve the health of all of Nigerian citizens. Thank you. Thank you all.