By Amaka Amaka
The Enugu state Primary Health Care Development Agency has launched an aggressive Immunization campaign in collaboration with NPHCDA, UNICEF, WHO and other partners with a call on parents to avail themselves of the opportunity to be vaccinated along side their children and wards against preventable diseases.
The Executive Secretary/CEO Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency, ES-PHCDA, Dr George Ugwu who made the call during the event at ESUT Teaching Hospital Parklane stated that the Immunization activities involve administering of vaccines against Measles, Yellow Fever, Covid 19 and Routine Immunization (scale 3.0) as well as birth registration by trained and authorized health workers who would visit homes, schools, churches, market places and everywhere children under five and adults are found in the state.
Describing the integrated package, Dr Ugwu said:Â “…measles vaccine is for children 9-59 months, Yellow fever from 9 months to 24 years, COVID-19 for people 18 years and above, routine Immunization for children 0-23 months and birth registration for all.
“In this Enugu state, we have moved from point A to B, won national award just a few weeks ago but in terms of challenges, we still need more manpower for health services.
” I appreciate the fact that our health care loving Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has given us new doctors in the type-3 Primary Health Care services, new nurses, new midwives trained under the National Basic Health Provision Fund program to be deployed to over 500 Primary Health care centers across the state.
Ugwu however requested more logistic support in terms of supervision and monitoring adding that the agency wishes to digitalize monitoring, evaluation and data handling to be able to be the best not only in Nigeria but across the globe.
He said “Primary Health Care Development Agency believes that disease prevention is more effective and cheaper,
We bring this timely event with the support of our dear Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Federal Government and development partners. Parents, please come out, bring out your children for this Immunization, all vaccines are safe, more effective and have no cost implications.”
In an address, the state commissioner for health and Associate professor, Public Health Medicine, Dr Emmanuel Ike Obi noted that the vaccination activity is geared towards the importance of preventing diseases. “We are trying to tell the people that through the strategy of immunization, most diseases can be prevented especially during this period, that is as we are entering dry season. Mothers, fathers, care-givers young adults and children, please come out and receive the wonderful health strategy because it helps to prevent diseases from happening, affecting our people and reducing their lifespan. Please make yourself available to be immunized.”
The UNICEF Chief Field Office Enugu, Mrs Juliet Chiluwe said the success of the exercise was to ensure that the health of children in the state are improved.
According to Chiluwe “we commend the state government for his commitment in spearheading the strengthening of a health system especially the Primary Health Care Development Agency.
She continued “as you know UNICEF, our mandate is to ensure that children attain healthy heights especially in the first one thousand (1000) days of a child’s life. We now have agenda for one-Team-one-Budget. This campaign is looking at protecting ourselves with vaccine preventable diseases.”
Meanwhile, the Governor Ugwuanyi ably represented by the deputy governor, Mrs Cecilia Ezeilo said that the on going Suplemental Immunization activities would in the first batch take place in Aninri, Awgu, Enugu North, Enugu South, Ezeagu, Oji River, Nkanu West and Udi while the second batch which ends on the 20th November 2022 are for Enugu East, Igbo Etiti, Igbo Eze North, Igbo Eze South, Isi-Uzo, Nkanu East and Nsukka.
The event had in attendance the Managing Director, ESUT Teaching Hospital Parklane Enugu, Professor Hyacinth Onah, Chairman board Enugu state Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Thadeus Asogwa, the state coordinator National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, Sir Phill Ugwueze, House Committee chairman on health and member representing Enugu South in the state house of Assembly, Hon. Samuel Okechukwu Ngene.
Others are the state chairman Christian Association of Nigeria CAN, Enugu state, Rev. Amb. Emmanuel Ositadimma Ede, Balle of the Yorubas and a representative of chief Imam in the state, Alhaji Abdulraziz Adebayo, representatives of Red Cross among others.
Ikorodo dance troop thrilled the audience which had in attendance, staff of the PHCDA, partners, other guests and over 350 nursing mothers with children from 9 months and above who were vaccinated at the venue.
