The Enugu State Government has emphasised its commitment to ensuring that all children in the state lead healthier lives, in order to reduce the socioeconomic burdens on families and society.
The Executive Secretary of the Enugu State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Ifeyinwa Ani-Osheku disclosed this at a stakeholders’ town hall meeting in Enugu on Tuesday.
The meeting focused on the first round of the big catch-up immunisation activities.
Ani-Osheku explained that the purpose of involving stakeholders in the meeting was to ensure that every child received the necessary vaccines.
She stated that the strategy was designed to give all children in the state equal opportunities to succeed, which would help prevent socioeconomic burdens on the community.
The Director of Disease Control and Immunisation at the Enugu State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Chinelo Nnadi reported that the COVID-19 pandemic had created gaps in immunisation coverage in several areas of the state.
She identified five Local Government Areas (LGAs) as being particularly affected: Enugu North, Isi-Uzo, Udi, Nsukka, and Uzo-Uwani.
Nnadi explained that the lockdowns during the pandemic had significantly disrupted immunisation efforts in these regions.
“When there was a total lockdown, it affected our immunisation activities. That is why we deemed it necessary to cover this gap, as we still have children who have not been immunised,” she said.
The State Coordinator for the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Mr James Chukwuwendu stressed that the aim of the exercise was to ensure that no eligible child missed out on immunisation, regardless of their location.
He urged community leaders to assist in the immunisation efforts to ensure that every child in their communities was vaccinated.
The UNICEF Vaccine Security and Logistics Officer in Enugu, Dr Nkem Agbata confirmed that the target age group for the immunisation campaign was children aged 12 to 59 months.
She assured the public that the vaccines were safe, explaining that the Federal Government had worked closely with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to assess the vaccines before their distribution.
Agbata also called on traditional leaders to help monitor the immunisation activities in their communities. (NAN
