Zamfara Government says it is collaborating with relevant stakeholders in reaching unvaccinated children for routine immunization, especially hard to reach communities.
The Programme Manager, State Emergency Routine Immunization Coordination Center (SERICC), Almustapha Aliyu, disclosed this in Sokoto at a two-day media dialogue for journalists from Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states.
The dialogue was organized by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with primary health care agencies of the three states, aimed at enhancing routine immunization and zero dose reduction campaigns.
Aliyu said a total of 658 health facilities offer routine immunization and other primary healthcare services in the state.
He added that “out of the number, no fewer than 189 health facilities are affected by insecurity, therefore they cannot be easily accessed for immunization and other health care services.”
He explained that the state government, with support from UNICEF, Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI) and World Health Organization (WHO) have been making efforts to reach out to the unvaccinated children.
He said “we are recording massive improvement in reaching children in the hard to reach communities that were not reached previously.
“We initiated market vaccination, where we vaccinate children on market days, outreaches at community level and vaccination in the malnutrition treatment centres.
“We also intensified collaboration with traditional and religious leaders, as well as local authorities and security agencies which led to the success recorded.
“As I am speaking now, the state had so far recorded only two confirmed Diphtheria cases in Tsafe and Zurmi local government areas”, Aliyu explained.
