Traditional rulers urge parents to ensure eligible children are vaccinated

Ekiti State Government has urged traditional rulers in the state to assist in facilitating the advocacy, sensitisation and endorsement of the measles-rubella vaccine introduction campaign in the state to prevent the outbreak of measles and the devastating effects on children.

The appeal was made yesterday, during a visit by a team from Primary Health Care Development and the Centre for Well-being Integrated Nutrition Solutions (C-WINS), the initiator of the sensitisation and advocacy, which was led by the Technical Assistant for C-WINS, Dr Olajumoke Ibitoye, to the Chairman of the State Council of Traditional Rulers, the Olojudo of Ido-Ekiti, Oba Ayorinde Ilori-Faboro.

The team also included the representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), for the advocacy, sensitisation and endorsements of the traditional rulers.

In her opening remark, Ibitoye said that the purpose of the visit was to create awareness and appeal to traditional rulers to help sensitise and endorse the measles-rubella campaign ahead of the vaccination, which is due in January next year.

In his remark, Oba Ilori-Faboro pledged the support of the Ekiti monarchs for the campaign, urging parents, guardians and caregivers to ensure that all children between the ages of nine months and 14 years get vaccinated.

“We don’t want to have a problem with measles and rubella. This is not the first time we have dealt with measles, but it will come back. So, it is with a sense of responsibility that I, as the Chairman of the Traditional Rulers in Ekiti State, address you today.

“As a traditional ruler and father, I urge every parent, guardian, and caregiver to ensure that all children between the ages of nine months and 14 years receive the measles-rubella vaccination during the coming national and state vaccination exercise. We must act now to protect our children, our families and our future generation,” the monarch said.

Also speaking, the WHO State Technical Assistant supporting the measles campaign, Dr Eronini Ebubechi, said Nigeria has the second highest measles prevalence in Africa after the Republic of Congo.