By Nnedinma Okeke
The Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ASPHCDA) in collaboration with State Ministry of Health (SMOH) and Partners has together with Stakeholders held a one-day State Social Mobilization Committee (SSMC) meeting ahead of the upcoming National Immunizations Plus Days (NIPDs) in the State.
The meeting, held in Awka was geared toward ensuring that effective execution be prioritised in the upcoming Immunization Plus Days as it was Nigeria’s last opportunity to end polio transmission.
In attendance were Partners, Stakeholders from Line Ministries such as Education, Information, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, ASUBEB, Representatives from National Orientation Agency (NOA), Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Muslim Community and the Media.
The Executive Secretary, ASPHCDA, Pharm Chisom Uchem represented by the Director, Community Health Services ASPHCDA, Dr Ngozi Okeke noted that the meeting was to enable the teams to deliberate on how to achieve the desired target of the campaign.
She explained that the goal was to ensure that all eligible children in the State aged zero to 59 months were vaccinated against Circulating Variant Polio Virus Type 2 (CVPV2) infection using various strategies such as house to house teams, mobile teams and fixed posts.
The Permanent Secretary, SMOH, Pharm Obiageli Uchebo represented by Mrs Chizoba Mbanefo noted that the meeting was an avenue on how to strategize better and move forward whilst putting in our best to get our children vaccinated.
She emphasized that impacts of Polio could be damaging as it could cause deformity, reasons why all eligible children must be protected against the infection.
The WHO Anambra State Coordinator, Dr Bonos Mohammed, clarified that though Nigeria had been certified Polio free for the type 1, 2 and 3 Wild Polio types, some countries still have these Polio types and Nigeria intermingle with them through trade and travels which then puts our children at a very high risk of the virus.
He explained that Nigeria maybe certified Polio free from the Wild Polio Virus, but has a problem with the Vaccine Derived Polio Virus which was as a result of some children not been immunized against the disease.
“The solution is that every child in all communities across the State must be vaccinated so they have immunity against the virus,” he said.
UNICEF Strategic Behavioral Change (SBC) Consultant, Dr Uju Eze encouraged the Stakeholders to participate effectively in ensuring that the State achieves its target results in the first round NIPDs.
The State Health Educator (SHE), Mrs Uju Onwuegbuzina noted that the aim of the meeting was to ensure that people were sensitized on the upcoming NIPDs as churches and schools would also be visited by vaccinating teams during the campaign.
She urged the Stakeholders to leverage on their different structures to create awareness so that vaccinating teams would be allowed to vaccinate children wherever they were found.
ASUBEB Representative, Mrs Cecilia Ofuonye noted that the Organisation has a well structured platform that would be utilised to ensure that the upcoming immunization campaign would be smooth with its aim achieved.
CAN Representative, Apostle F. U. James said the Association would leverage on its platforms and meetings to ensure that Pastors/Religious were well informed of the campaign and support its cause towardnachieving its desired result.
The immunization plus days would commence in the State from May 3 to May 6, 2025.
Nnedinma is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State
