By Ishaq Dan-Imam, Lokoja
Kogi-based Challenged Parenthood Initiative (CPI), a non governmental organisation in partnership with the Centre for Information Technology Development (CITAD) has said that its project of COVID-19 vaccine uptake has resulted in increased vaccination coverage from 125,833 in 2021 to 646,623 in November, 2022 (representing 23.2%) when the project ended.
Presenting the progress report titled, “Enhancing Demand Creation and Uptake of COVID-19 vaccine project in Kogi state”, at a news conference in Lokoja on Tuesday, the Executive Director, Ms Eunice Abimbola Agbogun said in spite of the progress recorded in COVID-19 vaccination, the coverage rate in the state is still low compared to the national average of 65%.
“From the national result, Kogi state status of 23.2% vaccinated eligible population is too low to the national average of 65%, hence kogi state has a lot to do to measure up.”
Ms Agbogun said data from the Kogi State Primary Health Care and Development Agency (KSPHCDA) revealed that the total number of people vaccinated as of November 2021 was 125,833 at which time the vaccines available in the state were AstraZeneca and Moderna.
According to her, CPI and CITAD joined forces with financial support from MacArthur Foundation to increase the COVID-19 vaccine uptake across the state.
“To gain citizens’ trust in the vaccines, CPI collaborated with Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KSPHCSDA), civil society partners, religious organisations, traditional rulers and media houses to debunk false information and misconceptions about COVID-19 and its vaccines.
“The project also provided capacity building for stakeholders on emerging issues related to COVID-19 vaccines and relevant topics to ensure accurate information is disseminated to the target audience.
“The project had two main objectives which included enhancing awareness on the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines and mobilise target communities to increase demand and uptake of the vaccines as well as building the capacity of stakeholders on emerging issues in the fight against COVID-19 with a view to promoting the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines.
“To ensure prompt and efficient access to vaccines in Kogi State, the project worked to comprehend and proffer solutions to the affecting the demand for COVID-19 vaccine interventions, thereby enabling opportunities for rapid action to ensure prompt and effective COVID-19 immunisation in Kogi state.
“The project offered opportunities for quick measures by gathering in-depth knowledge of the population dynamics of eligible persons, which led to effective results and an advanced understanding of factors impeding the demand and uptake of vaccines in the state.
“This endeavour has promoted demand for the COVID-19 vaccine among the eligible population that were yet to be vaccinated so that they can get vaccinated at safe and convenient locations.
“The project used a blend of creative communication, digital media, traditional advertising, and public relations to inform people about the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines through a continuous campaign from November 2021 to December 2022,” Agbogun explained.
She also said that CPI paid 25 advocacy visits to relevant stakeholders such as traditional rulers, civil society organisations, the media, religious bodies, trade unions and government ministries, departments and agencies, the WHO, UNICEF, among others in the course of implementing activities of the project:
“We were crossed with strange beliefs, misinformation and adamant positions which were frantically tackled through the social and behavioral change initiatives of CPI/CITAD intervention project.
“The individuals had held strange beliefs before this intervention that COVID-19 was a punishment released for the ill-doings of our leaders and hence has no effect on the common man who was going about his legitimate activity, hence, the vaccination had nothing to do with them.
“They also shared the belief that the masses are only bearing the pains of their wickedness and vaccines have been developed to introduce the virus to the innocent,” she said.
The CPI/CITAD project coordinator outlined the challenges to COVID-19 vaccination campaign to include communal clashes in Bassa and Omala local government, floods, difficult terrains, lack of payment to health workers among others.
She called on the state government and local governments to increase funding for COVID-19 vaccination and sustain media campaign to scale up coverage since the state is yet to attain coverage for fully vaccinated as against the total vaccinated, which is 56.3% with 41.6% partially vaccinated and 2.1% booster dose.
From a total population of 5,261,009, the desired target population (eligible population) in Kogi is 2,788,335 (53%).
