From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has decried the poor immunization records in the northwest states of Sokoto, Kebbi Zamfara, that are under its Sokoto Field Office.
The UN Children Agency confirmed that these states have the highest burden of un-immunized children in Nigeria, with the Field Office harboring 22 Local Government Areas (LGAs) out of the 100 high burden zero dose LGAs in Nigeria.
It further stated that the recent outbreaks of Diphtheria in the states were found to have occurred in locations with zero-dose children, thus points to the imperative of strengthening routine immunization, as the outbreaks signpost the danger posed to children’s lives by low immunization coverage levels.
Health Manager, UNICEF Sokoto Field Office, Dr. Shamina Sharmin, in a speech delivered at the two-day media dialogue on routine immunization and zero dose campaign, in Sokoto, on Saturday, noted that immunization records in northwest Nigeria is only 25 percent when compare to other geopolitical zones.
She made reference to the National Immunization Coverage Survey (NICS) 2021, which indicated that Nigeria has made progress in immunization with national routine immunization coverage of children receiving all three doses of the pentavalent vaccine at 57 percent, but the completeness of routine immunization coverage is 36 percent.
Dr. Sharmin who was represented by Dr. Maryam Darwesh, Chief of UNICEF Field Office, Sokoto, stressed the need for urgent action to secure the posterity of Nigeria by producing healthy population that would contribute, physically, mentally and otherwise, to the socioeconomic development of Nigeria.
She stressed the need to build on UNICEF’s strong partnership with the media to sustain campaign on the importance of routine immunization, highlighting what parents, caregivers, communities, traditional and religious leaders, decision-makers, and stakeholders should do to promote routine immunization.
She said: “Immunization is one of UNICEF’s global advocacy priorities keeping conversations on routine immunization on the front burner of Nigeria’s public discourse is essential. To achieve that, strategic and constructive engagement of the media with its mass-mediated news and information dissemination platforms is imperative.
“Furthermore, with the new governors at the helm of affairs in these three states, this media dialogue will be a perfect opportunity to set an agenda for the decision-makers. Hence, they begin to see immunization, ab initio, as a key priority in their development agendas.”
She maintained that immunization is the most cost-effective, high-impact intervention for dealing with vaccine-preventable diseases, especially in children under five. “Unfortunately, despite its proven efficacy, immunization uptake has not always been at its highest level in some countries, with Nigeria not being an exception.”
She solicited the support of all stakeholders to the campaign for improved immunization records which will culminate in a healthy population that would contribute to the socioeconomic development of Nigeria.
