Vaccination: FG urges traditional rulers to intensify efforts on community mobilisation

By Doosuur Iwambe

The Federal Government has challenged traditional rulers to intensify community mobilization efforts and also advocate to political leaders the unquantifiable benefits of investing in the health sector, particularly in Primary Health Care (PHC) which is the closest to the people.

Speaking during an engagement with royal fathers of South West extraction in its bid to increase the rate of COVID-19 vaccination in the region, Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire urged monarchs in the zone to sensitise communities on the importance of COVID-19 vaccination.

Dr Ehanire while commending the traditional rulers on their involvement in its vaccination efforts said that government is leveraging the respect people have for tradition and culture as well as their influence to improve the health and well-being of the people.

He said: “The federal government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari holds in high esteem our traditional institution, thus this partnership which we are consolidating today is in fulfilment of that high regard and respect.

“Our traditional institution is pivotal to whatever we do in all sectors, especially in health and government is conscious of the fact that alone, it cannot effectively safeguard the health of the people without the support of our Royal fathers.

“Traditional rulers across the country have been very supportive of government initiatives in the health sector especially in mobilization, disease surveillance and reporting. Our achievement of a wild polio virus free status in 2020 would not have been possible without the support of traditional leaders across the country”.

He added that the meeting was to kick-start the implementation of the MoU on the systematic engagement of traditional leaders in the Southwest zone between the Federal Government through the NPHCDA and the Royal fathers on PHC service delivery.

READ ALSO: Meet Danny Brace, the artist that stole our hearts…

“I look forward to this Committee intensifying our community mobilization efforts and advocating to our political leaders at all levels the unquantifiable benefits of investing in the health sector, particularly in primary health care, which is the closest to the people.

“I believe that working together will fast-track the achievement of our regional and national targets in Routine immunization, COVID-19 vaccination, polio eradication, and maternal and child health.

“May I use this opportunity to humbly remind your Royal Majesties to continue to sensitize your communities about the benefits of immunization and other PHC services, the risk of non-vaccination and in particular, to continue to promote COVID-19 vaccination in your domains”.

Earlier, the Executive Director of National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, Dr Faisal Shuaib said government expected the committee to adopt an operational guide for members support to PHC programs and interventions.

He listed the programs to include; COVID-19 vaccination, polio, measles, yellow fever, rotavirus, all other routine vaccinations, maternal, newborn, and childhood nutrition in the areas of role modeling, community advocacy, mobilization and sensitization, resource mobilization and monitoring.

“Our part we will brief you on our various PHC programs so that collectively we can achieve better health outcomes for our dear country and especially the Southwest zone.

“I am glad to inform Your Majesties that this week is also our 2022 African vaccination week (AVW). It is a week set aside every year to promote vaccination and the benefits of vaccines.

“As you may recall, Nigeria was certified wild polio virus free on 25th August 2020, and this year marks the third-year anniversary of Wild Polio Virus (WPV) eradication in Nigeria, hence the Federal Government through the NPHCDA, will be recognizing and rewarding best performing states in Routine Immunization and COVID-19 as part of the AVW celebrations”, Dr Shuaib said.

He added that even though Nigeria remain a wild poliovirus free country, the country cannot afford to be complacent as government need to continue to guard the status.

On his part, the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, in his remarks, appreciated the kind gesture, describing it a good opportunity to intensify community mobilization on vaccine- preventable diseases that would result in improved wellbeing of the people.

He promised to mobilize the support of the traditional rulers across the six states in south west geopolitical zone and other stakeholders to ensure that advocacy and sensitization on benefits of immunization and other PHCs services are taken to rural communities.

“We are no longer leaving responsibilities to federal or state government alone. We are leading the advocacy now and it’s a commitment that will herald improve PHC services across the South West region.”