Over 600,000 children yet to immunise in Kano, others – UNICEF

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has alerted that over 600,000 children are yet to be immunised of killer diseases in Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states.

Our correspondent reports that this was revealed by the Chief, UNICEF Field Office, Kano, Mr Rahama Rihood Farah, on Wednesday in Kano, during a Media Dialogue on Routine Immunisation and Zero Dose Campaign in Kano.

“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 per cent of the total unimmunised 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,” he appealed.

Farah, however, called on the governments of Kano, Jigawa and Katsina states (and other states with zero-dose LGAs) to take concerted action to strengthen their primary healthcare system.

He urged them to implement the Nigeria Primary Health Care Under One Roof Policy to ensure one-stop functional primary health care centre per ward, particularly those local government areas with unimmunised children.

He further stressed the need for the governments of the three states to ensure an integrated package of primary health services are provided to families in one functional health facility.

They should also increase strategic interventions to address persistent gap in human resources and recruit additional skilled critical cadres of health workers, including vaccinators, Community Health Influencers and Promoters Services (CHIPS) agents for immunisation demand creation.

Farah advised governments of the three states to provide essential medicines and health commodities, infrastructure, electricity, and water supply for quality integrated primary healthcare service for people.

He, however, reiterated UNICEF’s commitment to work with and support the governments of Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states towards ensuring that the well-being of children and their rights are fulfilled and protected.

According to Farah: “Immunisation is the single, most cost-effective, and high-impact intervention which protects children against illness and death caused by vaccine-preventable diseases.

“Yet, despite proven safety, efficacy and availability of vaccines, immunisation uptake has not always been optimal.

“Myths, disinformation, misinformation and rumours have contributed a great deal to poor immunisation uptake, exposing children to high risk and death that can be avoidable when they don’t get immunised.

“The National Immunisation Coverage Survey Results have shown that over the years, Nigeria has made progress in immunisation coverage, however, it is also clear that gaps exist.

“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 immunisation services their basic fundamental right is not fulfilled.

“I also take this opportunity and urge traditional and religious leaders, community leaders, and civil society organisations, to forge partnerships to eliminate the number of unimmunised children in Nigeria.

“I therefore urge media participants at the Media Dialogue today, and indeed every media practitioner across the country, to create the demand for immunisation and to raise awareness of the importance of immunisation by providing accurate information to caregivers, families, and communities,” he said.

Farah expressed appreciation to the media for their collaborative efforts in protecting the rights and promoting the health of children.

“Let me begin by thanking the media for the supportive and collaborative role on child survival, development, and protection issues over the years.

“At UNICEF, we daily monitor the media reporting, and we see that the content on child rights issues, and stories on children and women represent a sizable content published by the robust Nigerian media.

“Let me emphasise this, your role in advancing and promoting the public health services and promoting children rights in Nigeria is very critical.

“It is in light of this context; I welcome all participants to this Dialogue on a very important issue of Routine Immunisation and the challenge of Zero Dose Children in particular,” he said.