More Than 80,000 Children Miss Immunization in Nigeria – NPHCDA

The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Faisal Shauib has revealed that over 800,000 children lack access to routine immunisation in six northern states due to banditry and other insecurities.

He made this known during a strategic meeting with traditional leaders of some inaccessible communities in six states on PHC Delivery held in Sokoto.

The states affected, he said include Kaduna, Niger, Zamfara, Kebbi, Katsina, and Sokoto, adding that they could not be accessed by officials on routine immunisation.

The meeting was organised by the Sultan Foundation of Peace and Development in collaboration with NPHCDA.

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The director said, “The strategic meeting was a turning point in their approach to reaching children for vaccination against preventable diseases.

“The meeting was a fallout of the commitment made by the traditional institution in the North to provide effective health service delivery to their communities.”

Shuaib further explained that the meeting was aimed at promoting an effective primary health care delivery to the people of the region in particular and Nigeria in general.

He explained that inaccessibility was a formidable threat to the NPHCDA effort to interrupt the transmission of the circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cvpv2) currently spreading in some states.

The NPHCDA director noted that inaccessibility to vaccination would derail efforts made so far by making other children vulnerable to poliovirus infection.

“As respected leaders of our nation, I respectfully implore your majesties to consistently advocate for immunisation and other primary healthcare services.

“By utilising your influential and revered position in society to emphasise the significance of regular immunisation and other PHC services to parents and caregivers, we can overcome obstacles and enhance the acceptance of vaccines, ensuring that every child receives these life-saving treatments.

“By taking this action, we can stop the spread of cvpv2 and achieve a comprehensive enhancement in the health and welfare of our communities.

“The HPV vaccine is highly effective in preventing the most common types of Human Papilloma Virus that cause cervical and other types of cancers. We would be reaching out to you to help communicate to your communities the importance of these vaccines.”

On her part, the United Nations Children’s Fund country representative to Nigeria, Cristian Munduate, who was represented by the Head of Sokoto Field Office, Maryam Sa’id, said it had provided millions of vaccine doses for the country.

She promised that UNICEF would continue to render technical support to Nigeria for effective health service delivery.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, represented by the Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Samaila Mera, said as leaders of the people, they would find an alternative way of reaching inaccessible areas.