FG sets up immunization coordination centre to fight poliomyelitis among children
As part of efforts to curb the wide spread of polio and other killer diseases among the Nigerian children, the federal government through its National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) on Tuesday in Abuja launched a National Emergency Routine Immunization Coordination center that will help revamp the routine immunization performance in the country.
Recall that the federal government in June 2017 expressed its concern over the number of unimmunized children.
Addressing journalists on the new initiative, the Executive Director, NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shauib, said “government is worried over the low rate of routine immunization in the country despite huge investments and improvement in the supply chain and distribution of vaccines in the last 5 years.
“Several surveys, particularly the 2016 MICS/NICS report, show a national Penta3/DPT3 coverage of 44 percent. There are some states in the country with routine immunization coverage as low as 4percent. These indicators for measuring routine immunization performance have shown a steady decline despite huge investments and improvement in supply chain and distribution of vaccines in the last five years.
“We cannot continue to leave our children vulnerable to vaccine preventable disease. That is why it became pertinent that a coordinating center is established to function with a sense of emergency.
According to him, the center is saddled with the responsibilities of planning, coordinating and ensuring that the country’s national target of 85% coverage for routine immunization is achieved and unvaccinated kids are reached through innovative strategies within the shortest possible time.
“Specifically, the center is to provide a national and sub national coordination mechanism to manage the full implementation ofnthe routine immunization programmes, strategies and other recommendations of various expert committees towards achieving routine immunization coverage of at least 85% for all antigens at national, states and local government areas levels.
The center, which will be funded by government with contribution and support from donors and partners, has members of the committee drawn from World Health Organisation, UNICEF, Save the Children, EU-Sign, and civil society organisations.
It will, in addition, help in the increase of data visibility and use for action by providing clear insightful days to asses routine immunization at national and sub national levels, and above all, increase outreach services for immunization for traditional vaccines especially in the very low performing states.
