FG, UNICEF, others take measles campaign to Ekiti

The Federal Government, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, United Nations Children Endowment Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organisation (WHO) and the African Field Epidemiology Network have commenced a mop up vaccination on measles to ensure children in Ekiti state were immunised. Also, a medical practitioner and field Epidemiologist with the African Field Epidemiology Network, Dr. Adebayo Fashola had warned of dangers of failure by parents to immunise their wards against measles.

Revealing yesterday that 9.7m children die of measles annually across the globe, Fashola said the situation had made Nigeria to maintain 95 per cent benchmark set for measles immunisation. Speaking in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, during a Measles Vaccine Campaign workshop to mark commencement of 2018 immunisation programme in Ekiti, Fashola explained immunisation for children between ages 9 months and 5 years had been slated for between March 1 and 13.

The programme, which he said was held two years ago would take place across the entire 16 councils of the state, adding the state had been partitioned to be covered by 312 teams. According to him, the programme was being bankrolled through partnership between the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, United Nations Children Endowment Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organisation (WHO) and the African Field Epidemiology Network.

He explained the first phase of the programme would be conducted in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti West, Efon, Ijero , Ikere Ikole , Ido/Osi and Irepodun/Ifelodun local governments, while the second would cover Ekiti East, Emure, Ekiti South West, Ise/Orun, Ilejemeje, Gbonyin and Mobal local government areas.

He said: “For the programme to be a success, we are using all the primary healthcare facilities across the 177 wards in Ekiti and our experts will visit churches, mosques, schools, settlements and other centres to source for children to immunise.

“We are carrying out these routine vaccination exercises because we want to ensure that we grow the children population up to herd immunity level where the number of children that were immunized will be enough to form a wall of defence for those that were not immunised.”

About Ise Ekiti

Here you can communicate with old friends, view new things happening around Ise and its environs. You can Contribute to our community activities since your opinion is one of our back bone..