A Non-Governmental Organization TAConnect has concluded a two-year vaccination uptake intervention to facilitate immunization of 11,384 children from a zero-dose burden community.
TAConnect, in collaboration with the State Primary Healthcare Board and critical stakeholders, also entrenched integrated health care services to over 5,000 caregivers, essentially in the areas of reproductive, maternal, child health and nutrition value system in the selected local government areas of Kano state.
Available records indicated that Kano has 15 local government areas with the burden of children who have never received the routine rotavirus and pentavalent vaccines as well as first and second immunizations for Measles.
The selected LGAs are Bebeji, Wudil, Danbatta, Kiru, Dawakin-Tofa, Minjibir, Rano, Kumbtso, Nassarawa, Garun-Mallam, Tudun-Wada, Ungogo, Tsanyawa, Dawakin-Kudu and Doguwa.
Addressing stakeholders at an event, TAConnect Technical Adviser, Mr. Layi Jaiyeola explained that the intervention had successfully contributed to reducing zero dose by 30 per cent in 10 selected LGAs.
The event tagged “Accelerating Vaccination Uptake in Children Under Two Years in Selected Zero Dose LGAs, Mr Jaiyeola noted that with an integrated approach, the project was able to address traditional and religious challenges contributing to the rejection of vaccines in the communities.
He urged the state government to ensure the sustainability of the project to accelerate the vaccination uptake which relieved Kano of zero dose burden.
“We worked with Kano state primary healthcare board and communities in 15 centres on addressing the barriers to uptake immunization, essentially to reach children who have never received any dose of vaccine.
“We have reached 11,384 children, over 50 per cent female children. We also used the concept of integration of services to meet the needs of the caregivers, and the parents’ needs around nutrition, maternal care and reproductive health, with key information and care they need to improve their health.
“Through the integration services, when the mother brings a child, we use the opportunity to render additional services to the mother. By the time we finished the program in April, we were able to reach over 5,900 mothers with key information on maternal care and able to refer over 2,000 to health facilities for nutrition services”. Jaiyeola emphasised.
Speaking on behalf of the state Primary healthcare board, the director Administration and General Services, Malam Jazuli Ja’afar applauded the intervention of TAConnect towards reducing zero-dose vaccination in Kano.
He assured government readiness to sustain partnerships with the NGOs to improve the healthcare management system, especially on the uptake of immunization and maternal and childcare development.
