The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has flagged off a one week integrated National Immunisation Plus Days (NIPD) targeting 1.27 million children between the ages of zero and 59 months.
The administration also began an Optimised Maternal Newborn Child Health week (MNCHW) and Active Case Search (ACS) for cases of diphtheria and other diseases of public health concern.
Speaking, yesterday, in Abuja, the acting Executive Secretary of the FCT Primary Healthcare Board, Dr Yakubu Mohammed, said that the ‘’immunisation is very important because of the cases of the Circulating Poliovirus Type 2, which if not addressed could become an outbreak and reverse the gains of being certified polio free.’’
He stated that outreaches would be stationed at over 250 Primary Healthcare facilities, 14 secondary health facilities under the FCT administration, additional 14 secondary health care facilities owned by other ministries and agencies and the three tertiary health care facilities in the FCT, where the health team will be stationed to provide the various services.
Mohammed explained that apart from administering the oral polio vaccine, the administration would provide the complete routine immunization package will be made available alongside the Human Papilloma Virus vaccine for girls between the ages of nine and 15 years.
He noted that under the MNCHW, the FCTA wouldl provide packaged interventions, including Vitamin A for children from nine to 59months,worm tablets to cure them of all forms of worms, ranging from round hook and tape worms, providing ORS for control of diarrhea adding that yhere shall be essential medicines for treatment of locally endemic diseases and common illnesses, distribution of while pregnant women will be given iron tablets and folic acid.
Mohammed also observed that 1.4 million women of child bearing age from 15 to 45 years would be reached with various services , out of which 318, 604 projected to be pregnant.
He said: ‘’We are not only administering only oral polio vaccine but also HPV to protect our eligible girls against cervical cancer, we are de-worming the children and providing Vitamin A supplementation. The Vitamin A Supplementation is one of the high impact cost effective intervention that protects the children from blindness.’’
Mohammed noted that non-compliances with oral polio vaccination is usually experienced but a lot of sensitization has been going on trying to correct wrong information and misinformation as a lot of non-compliance are born out of misleading information from individuals and influencers that the people believe in, we are working with the community structure to provide superior arguments based on science.
