FG charges Southwest traditional leaders on optimal COVID-19 vaccination

Ehanire

The Federal Government has charged the Southwest traditional leaders to raise their performance in COVID-19 vaccination coverage to the optimal level in the country.

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire made the charge on Tuesday in Abuja at the Maiden Quarterly Meeting of the Southwest Traditional Leaders Committee on Primary Healthcare Delivery.

Ehanire said most of the Southwest States in COVID-19 vaccination is suboptimal stressing that bringing the influence of the traditional leaders to bear on the situation can change the narrative of the Southwest.

Ehanire commends the traditional leaders for agreeing to partner with the government on Primary health care delivery and for their passion and commitment to ensuring the wellbeing of Nigerians, especially the people of the Southwest zone.

He said: “We are leveraging the respect our people have for tradition and culture and the influence of our traditional leaders, to improve the health and well-being of the people”.

“The Federal government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari holds in high esteem our traditional institution, thus this partnership which we are consolidating today is in fulfilment of that high regard and respect”.

“Our traditional institution is pivotal to whatever we do in all sectors, especially in health and government is conscious of the fact that alone, it cannot effectively safeguard the health of the people without the support of our Royal fathers”.

“Traditional rulers across the country have been very supportive of government initiatives in the health sector, especially in mobilization, disease surveillance and reporting. Our achievement of a wild poliovirus-free status in 2020 would not have been possible without the support of traditional leaders across the country”.

“I look forward to this Committee intensifying our community mobilization efforts and advocating our political leaders at all levels the unquantifiable benefits of investing in the health sector, particularly in primary health care, which is the closest to the people”.

“I believe that working together will fast-track the achievement of our regional and national targets in Routine immunization, COVID-19 vaccination, polio eradication, and maternal and child health”.

“May I use this opportunity to humbly remind your Royal Majesties to continue to sensitize your communities about the benefits of immunization and other PHC services, the risk of non-vaccination and in particular, to continue to promote COVID-19 vaccination in your domains.

The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Faisal Shuaib said government expect that at this meeting the committee will adopt an operational guide for members’ support to PHC programs and interventions such as COVID-19 vaccination, polio, measles, yellow fever, rotavirus, all other routine vaccinations, maternal, newborn, and childhood nutrition in the areas of role modelling, community advocacy, mobilization and sensitization, resource mobilization and monitoring.

According to Shuaib: “On our part, we will brief you on our various PHC programs so that collectively we can achieve better health outcomes for our dear country and especially the Southwest zone.

“I am glad to inform Your Majesties that this week is also our 2022 African vaccination week (AVW). It is a week set aside every year to promote vaccination and the benefits of vaccines.

“As you may recall, Nigeria was certified wild poliovirus free on 25th August 2020, and this year marks the third-year anniversary of Wild Polio Virus (WPV) eradication in Nigeria, hence the Federal Government through the NPHCDA, will be recognizing and rewarding the best performing states in routine immunisation and COVID-19 as part of the AVW celebrations.

Shuaib also said although Nigeria remains a wild poliovirus-free country, but Nigeria cannot afford to be complacent as government need to continue to guard its status.

“Moreover, there is ongoing transmission of other forms of the poliovirus in the environment. Therefore, we have continued the polio campaigns.

“Since the certification of Nigeria as a wild poliovirus-free country, the Agency in collaboration with donors and development partners has acquired new tools and resources to ensure that the importation of Wild Poliovirus into the country is averted.

“I want to also assure you that we have deployed various interventions one of which is the outbreak response in order to ensure that all eligible children are protected.

“The global community has attested that government alone cannot provide health care for the people. The pivotal roles played by the Nigerian traditional institution goes way back with evidence showing the impact made by the traditional institution in not just the Polio program but in other health interventions in the country.”

The Chairman of the Southwest Traditional Leaders Committee, the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja the second in his remarks said it is about time traditional leaders take drastic steps to address health care issues at the local level.

He appreciated the kind gesture, describing it as a good opportunity to intensify community mobilisation on vaccine-preventable diseases that would result in improved wellbeing of the people.

He also promised to mobilise the support of the traditional rulers across the six states in the southwest geopolitical zone and other stakeholders to ensure that advocacy and sensitisation on the benefits of immunisation and other PHC services are taken to rural communities.

“We are no longer leaving responsibilities to federal or state government alone. We are leading the advocacy now and it’s a commitment that will herald improve PHC services across the South West region,” he added.

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