Anambra State Government says it is targeting about three million children to be vaccinated with oral polio vaccine against polio and other diseases.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike stated this during a press briefing organized by the Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency in collaboration with the state Ministry of Health in implementing polio vaccine campaign.
The briefing which was to intimate the public on the Outbreak Response two which targets children from zero to fifty-nine months, has its theme as ‘Keep Polio at Zero’.
According to Dr Obidike, the first Outbreak Response recorded a huge success but the recent detection of Circulating Variant Pollo Virus type two in Nkanu West, Enugu State which geographically has a relationship with Anambra State makes it necessary that they quickly get Anambra children immunized again against polio.
He noted that it will be a four-day programme starting Friday November 10 and ends on Tuesday November 14, adding that the vaccine is safe and free, even as he encouraged parents and guardians to allow their wards to receive the vaccine if they fall within the age range specified.
Dr Obidike also harped on the need for children to get vaccinated with other routine immunizations as it is very essential and also register them for birth certificates which will help them to access health care services in the state.
The Commissioner highlighted the importance of nutrition for children, saying that it is all encompassing and commended the team from World Health Organization for their assistance so far.
The State Coordinator of World Health Organization, Dr Adamu Abdulnasir, said that Anambra is on top among the South East states in terms of polio vaccination and congratulated the state for scaling through in all the health indices examined by the WHO, stating that they are embarking on Polio Outbreak Response two because of the outbreak in Enugu, thereby trying to prevent it from spreading to other South East and South South states.
Dr Abdulnasir noted that the vaccination exercise will be house-to-house activity including in schools, churches and mosques as WHO has provided logistics for their teams who are going to carry out the exercise, and commended Governor Chukwuma Soludo and his wife, Nonye, for championing the cause of wellbeing of children through Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo initiative.
Earlier in her remarks, the Executive Secretary, Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Pharmacist Chisom Uchem, hinted that the flag off will take place at Umueze Anam, Anambra West Local Government Area today, and promised that they will work more than they did in the first exercise, as over two million doses of oral polio vaccines have been supplied by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.
Comments are closed for this post.