The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has solicited the support of religious leaders to ensure that every child is protected against preventable diseases.
Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES), Adedolapo Fasawe, who took an advocacy campaign to various religious centres across Abuja, underscored the importance of compliance with the ongoing Child Immunisation Campaign (Measles-Rubella) under the Child Rights Act, 2003.
Fasawe reiterated that immunisation in the FCT is free, safe, effective, and secures the future of every child, adding that ignorance or misinformation must never be an excuse for non-compliance.
She also revealed that the FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has approved free enrolment into the FCT Health Insurance Scheme (FHIS) for every child fully vaccinated in public schools across the Territory. Furthermore, she noted that the administration has begun enforcing relevant legal provisions to address non-compliance or obstruction of vaccination teams, warning that violators, including parents and school owners, will face sanctions under the Child Rights Act.According to her, Sections 13 and 14 of the Act mandate parents, guardians, and institutions to ensure that every child is fully immunised, and denying such access constitutes a violation of a child’s right to health and protection.
The advocacy visits, led by Dr. Fasawe, formed part of the wider citywide sensitisation campaign aimed at ensuring that no child, whether in school, church, mosque, market, or playground, is left unprotected from preventable diseases.Simultaneously, other FCTA immunisation teams were deployed across various districts and communities, including hard-to-reach areas and places of worship, to ensure comprehensive coverage and reach every eligible child.During the outreach, the Senior Pastor and Regional Overseer of MFM Wuye International Headquarters, Pastor Edwin Etomi, commended the FCT Minister for his proactive commitment to child health and grassroots engagement.
Similarly, Evangelist Anselm Ikebata of Christ Holy Church International, Area 1, applauded the Administration’s renewed effort and urged parents to seize the opportunity to vaccinate their children, stressing that doing so helps secure the future of every child.Fasawe explained that the ongoing campaign is designed to be all-inclusive, involving traditional institutions, churches, mosques, community associations, NGOs, CSOs, and partners such as the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), UNICEF, WHO, and IVACA.
She noted that the secretariat’s teams have traversed the nooks and crannies of the FCT to reach as many households as possible.Parents turned out in large numbers to have their children immunised and expressed appreciation to the Mandate Secretary for encouraging participation by distributing gifts, party packs, and toys to children.
Fasawe disclosed that the Secretariat has compiled a list of non-compliant schools and issued reminder letters while mobilising 132 vaccination teams for a three-day citywide mop-up exercise in collaboration with NPHCDA and other relevant stakeholders.
Including the Ansar-ud-Deen Society and Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Foundation. The exercise continued on Sunday with visits to major churches such as the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), and Christ Holy Church International.
