The Federal Government has reiterated the importance of parents taking responsibility for immunizing their children to prevent vaccine-preventable diseases.
It also highlighted the critical need to invest in primary healthcare, which forms the foundation of a robust healthcare system, ultimately contributing to social-economic development.
The Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, (NPHCDA) Dr. Faisal Shuaib in his remarks at the 40th Expert Review Committee Meeting, said it is important that parents actually take up their responsibilities and make sure that these vaccines that are provided free of charge to all members of the communities are accessed by parents.
While speaking further, Shuaib said: “We are working with the leadership of the states to make sure that we provide the vaccines and the medications that are necessary to contain these outbreaks.”
“We are beginning to see the situation where if parents, guardians don’t take their kids for routine immunization, then it exposes kids to vaccine-preventable diseases such as what we’re seeing with diphtheria outbreak in Kano states, in Katsina state, in Bauchi states, in Yobe states and environments.
“This is because parents are not taking their kids for routine immunization. We cannot continue to campaign our way out of these types of situations,” he said.
Shuaib also assured that NPHCDA is actively engaged in providing support, advocacy, and coordination for primary healthcare programs, stressing the importance of resources allocated for prevention, promotion, and rehabilitation for children affected by disabilities.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative to Nigeria, Dr. Walter Kazadi Molumbo who spoke through Zoom said he is confident that the session by the Expert Review Committee(ERC) meeting on Polio and Routine Immunization would make far-reaching recommendations to address this persisting challenge.
“The PHC revitalization agenda is the gateway and an accelerator for essential health services within the context of providing the required resources to kick-start a comprehensive effort for full polio transition. I note the significant progress from the last ERC, and I am indeed in high anticipation for the next set of evidence-based recommendations from this meeting,” he said.
Dr. Kazadi added that with a successful political transition, Nigeria has continued to strive towards a journey to zero for cVPV2 since the last ERC.
“More than 13 rounds of SIAs have been conducted with commensurate increase in quality particularly in accessible areas.
“The country continues to deploy innovative strategies in insecure areas through stronger community engagement and collaboration with partners. Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina and Kebbi have been identified as axis of intractable transmission, thus requiring additional resources and cooperation of stakeholders for more impactful reach with surveillance and vaccines.”
The UNICEF Country Representative Cristian Munduate who was represented by the Chief of Health, Edwardo Celades, acknowledged the significant strides made with a 60% reduction in polio cases compared to 2022, he emphases that “we are doing the right things” but also cautioned that every positive polio case represented a failure, urging the nation to reach zero cases as soon as possible.
“UNICEF is proud to have joined the concerted efforts by providing life-saving vaccines, generating demand for vaccines, we’re reaching communities and partnering with traditional and religious leaders and key stakeholders to create a positive environment for vaccination,” he said.
Celades said, “We have contributed to ensuring that leaders and teams were available to resolve vaccine hesitancy and we have engaged almost 20,000 community members to encourage millions of Nigerian caregivers to take their children to the health facilities for competition of the immunisation.”
He said UNICEF will continue to support the country’s integrated approach otodelivering life saving vaccines to children.
Celades praised the integration efforts in primary healthcare, with over 800,000 additional children reached through immunization, and congratulated the progress.
On diphtheria, the Chief of Health, UNICEF said in addressing the daunting challenge of diphtheria outbreak, currently the third largest in the world, he stressed the need for swift action, likening the diphtheria response to the successful polio eradication efforts in Nigeria.
Also, the Chairman of the Expert Review Committee (ERC) on Polio and Routine Immunization, Prof. Akin Osibogun emphasized on the need to maintain consistent pressure like a spring to prevent any resurgence.
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