The National Immunisation Coverage Survey Results show that Nigeria has made progress in routine immunisation coverage over the years.
The UNICEF Chief, Kano Field Office, Mr Rahama Farah, disclosed this at a two-day media dialogue in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA).
The Chief, UNICEF Kano field office, Mr Rahama Rihood Mohammed Farah, however, raised the concern on Wednesday in his speech delivered at a zonal media dialogue on routine immunisation and the zero dose campaign said that “despite proven safety, efficacy, and availability of vaccines, Immunisation uptake has not always been optimal.”
Farah disclosed that “Myths, disinformation, misinformation, and rumours, have contributed a great deal to poor immunization uptake, exposing children to high risk and death that can be avoidable when they don’t get immunized.
“The National Immunization Coverage Survey results have shown that over the years, Nigeria has made progress in immunisation coverage, however, it is also clear that gaps exist. For instance, in the three states of the Northwest of Nigeria: Kano, Katsina and Jigawa there are over 600,000 children who have not been vaccinated against childhood killer diseases. This is closer to about 40% of the total unimmunized children in Nigeria”.
“Over 300,000 of those children are in Kano State, representing 50 per cent of the three states under the UNICEF Kano office. This situation is unacceptable and should be reversed urgently.”
According to Farah “as the UN agency mandated for the protection and promotion of children’s rights, we are extremely concerned when children don’t get immunised, when children have no access to immunization services their basic fundamental right is not fulfilled.”
The chief field officer called on the Kano, Jigawa and Katsina states and other states with zero-dose LGAs, to take concerted action in strengthening their primary healthcare systems to increase strategic interventions to address the persistent gap in human resources and recruit additional skilled critical cadres of health workers, vaccinators, Community Health Influencers and Promoters Services (CHIPS) agents for immunization demand creation.
He also appealed to implement the Nigeria primary healthcare under-one-roof policy to ensure a one-stop functional primary healthcare centre per ward particularly those LGAs with unimmunized children and to ensure an integrated package of primary health services is provided to families in one functional health facility.
UNICEF expressed the need for the governments to provide essential medicines and health commodities, infrastructure, electricity, and water supply for quality integrated primary healthcare services for people.
“Let me conclude by reiterating UNICEF’s commitment to work with and support the state governments to ensure that the well-being of children and their rights are fulfilled and protected.”
The agency (UNICEF) urged media participants in the media dialogue to create the demand for immunisation and to raise awareness of the importance of Immunization by providing accurate information to caregivers, families, and communities.
Hauwa Mustapha/Oyenike Oyeniyi
