Anambra targets over 1m children for measles vaccination

No fewer than 1.1 million children are being targeted in the forthcoming Anambra State 2024 integrated Measles Campaign to protect children and reduce the burden of the disease.

Mrs Uju Onwuegbuzina, State Health Educator, Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency, gave the statistics at the Zonal Meeting ahead of the 2024 Integrated Measles Campaign.

The meeting with the theme – ‘Immunisation: A Community Responsibility for a Healthier Future’, was organised by United Nations Children’s Funds (UNICEF) and the National Orientation Agency, in Enugu.

The 2024 Integrated Measles Campaign would be implemented in Anambra, Benue, Enugu, Cross River and Kogi states.

Onwuegbuzina said the state had received 1,227,113 doses of the measles vaccines for the vaccination of children in 330 wards across the 21 Local Government Areas of the state.

She said the measles vaccination is scheduled to start on Oct. 12 and end on Oct. 18, in all health facilities, designated fixed and mobile posts in communities, churches, schools and markets.

Onwuegbuzina identified Ihiala, Nnewi South, Orumba South, and Ogbaru as security-compromised areas causing significant challenges in reaching children for vaccination.

“To ensure no child is left behind and for us to meet the target of vaccinating 1,168,679 children, we will use indigenes of these security-compromised areas to carry out the campaign since they know the areas better.

“Anambra is ready for implementation as we have commenced media engagements to intensify awareness, advocacy visits to traditional, community and religious leaders as well as training of vaccination teams.

“This campaign is very important to protect our children from this killer disease and secure their future. So, we encourage parents and caregivers, to bring out their children for vaccination,”she said.

Also speaking, Dr Hilary Ozoh, Social and Behaviour Change Specialist, UNICEF, said the measles vaccination was targeted at children from nine to 59 months of age, as well as eligible children irrespective of previous vaccination history.

Ozoh said the media was critical to achieving the national target of 95 per cent coverage during the vaccination campaign.

He urged the media to write data-based stories and report their stories from an informative point of view, to educate and enlighten Nigerians on the measles campaign to ultimately improve health services in the state.