•Conducts Second Phase Of Vaccination Campaign
Chioma Umeha
To ensure an unbroken record in the Nigeria’s
renewed attempt to become polio-free, Lagos state government with support of
other local and international partners has successful conducted a second phase
of the immunisation campaign against the disease.
Disclosing this at a media/ stakeholders
sensitisation workshop in Lagos, Titilayo Goncalves, Permanent Secretary, Lagos
State Ministry of Health, said the United Nations Children’s Funds (UNICEF) and
other agencies, have successfully concluded another polio vaccination campaign.
According to Goncalves, the state-wide vaccination
began Saturday, June 15 and ended Tuesday, June 18, 2019, following the
confirmation of environmental strand of Polio Virus in Makoko, Itire and
Maracana Canals in the State.
The Permanent Secretary also said the vaccination
campaign was to halt the spread of polio virus and increase coverage of
immunised children against vaccine-preventable diseases.
She further explained that the vaccination
campaign would improve the herd immunity of the environment against the Wild
Polio Virus.
Dr. Gonclaves, however, noted that the campaign
was aimed at eliminating the polio virus found in the State, stressing that the
State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu is very passionate in ensuring that no
child in Lagos suffers disability or dies as a result of vaccine-preventable
diseases.
She revealed that the second phase of the polio
vaccination campaign was in furtherance of the noble goal that all children in
Lagos State be covered by the present immunisation campaign, which was done
house to house so that the 100 per cent status of polio Immunisation will be
attained, maintained and sustained.
According to her; “We have made good progress in
this bid with the cooperation and support of other agencies and development
partners, but we are still pursuing this goal with great determination and
focus so that no single child between zero and 59 months would remain
unimmunised or unprotected from the Polio virus.”
Gonclaves explained that the vaccination was an
opportunity for parents and caregivers who visited the PHCs and General
hospitals in their neighborhood to catch up with the other immunisations.
According to her, polio vaccination is safe, free,
not dangerous and can be taken irrespective of former immunisation status,
adding that, no child is safe from the vaccine-preventable diseases until
immunised.
Recalled that the recent 35th Expert Review Committee
for Polio Eradication and Routine Immunisation (ERC), expressed optimism that
the Nigerian programme is on course to achieving polio eradication with
‘Impressive progress’ recorded.
The ERC meets periodically to evaluate progress
towards the attainment of a polio-free Nigeria. The monitoring body provides
guidance to the government and partners.
The summary of the experts’ feedback was contained
in a presentation by Dr. Pascal Mkanda, Polio Eradication Programme Coordinator
of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa, after
meeting with government officials, partners and other stakeholders in Abuja
from March 26-27, 2018 to review progress of the programme in Nigeria.
“With no wild polio virus reported for 18 months
in accessible areas, there is a unique opportunity for Nigeria to get the job
done within the lifetime of the current administration,” Dr Mkanda said.
Commenting, Dr. Fiona Braka, a representative of
the WHO said ; “We are in the middle of an outbreak and we must respond to it.
The outbreak response must be of high quality to interrupt the transmission of
the virus.
Braka who spoke at the media/ stakeholders
sensitisation workshop organised by Lagos state noted,“Nigeria has made
remarkable progress in the fight against polio. We are now 32 months without a
wild polio virus Nigeria.”
However, she said, “This outbreak we are facing is
a different strain and we, therefore, must respond approximately, adding that
the goal is to interrupt the virus and that can only be achieved if everyone
works collectively to bring out children to get two drops of polio vaccine over
the next four days.”
Corroborating, Dr. Tayo Lawal, the Permanent
Secretary, Primary Health Care Board, Lagos State, said, the just concluded
polio vaccination campaign was house-to-house, transit, and fixed post teams.
Children at homes, markets, churches, mosques, major car parks, and social
event venues were vaccinated.
As long as a single child remains unprotected by
immunisation, there is a high risk for infection to occur, says Adamu, while
urging the media to create more awareness on the need for parents to ensure
that their children under age five get vaccinated against polio.
Contributing, Hayon Nam, the United Nations
Children’s Fund, (UNICEF) Communication For Development Specialist, said part
of the role of the media disseminates the correct information to the people so
that they can make an informed decision on this activity that can change their
lives.
She said the media is the ear, eyes, and mouth of
Nigeria and the most reliable trusted source of information.
