A’Ibom laments poor immunisation coverage

The Akwa Ibom government has appealed to the federal government and donor agencies to step up immunization coverage in the state to check the spread of preventable childhood killer diseases.

The government also lamented the dismal health indicators report which ranked the state high in childhood diseases including infant, maternal, new born babies as well as HIV/AIDS.

Director Public Health Services, Dr Godfrey Akro, who made this known in Uyo Monday, during a social mobilisation meeting said immunisation was important to the growth  and sustainable development among children.

The appeal came on the heels of the forthcoming 2019 National Immunisation Plus Days (NIPDs) scheduled to hold from  July 13 to 16 this year.

“Since prevention is better than cure, there is need for stakeholders to take ownership of the programme for the elimination of early childhood diseases,” he said.

Represented by the state immunisation officer,  Ime Udo, the  saif the exercise would involve  house-to-house vaccination of children and lauded the contributions of partners in a bid to check killer diseases among children and pregnant women.

He called on “communities, households, churches, mosques and institutions to be prepared to receive health personnel during the immunisation campaign.”

The  state health educator, Margeret Etim, in her remarks said with only one round of the exercise this year,  all and should take advantage of the exercise to immunise their children against  childhood diseases. 

She also  disabused the minds of parents on  wrong the perception about childhood diseases, saying, “lack of  immunisation could  cause diseases and   mal- functioning   among  children.”

Etim stated hat the  United Nations Fund (UNICEF) ranks Akwa Ibom as one of the best in terms of Social Mobilisation on NIPDs in Nigeria.

“For effective mobilisation, the message about immunisation   should be carried  to churches, mosques, town hall meeting    by care givers,  religious leaders traditional rulers,  town criers  and neighbours,” she said.

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