By Umaru Maradun
Gusau
Zamfara state has recorded over 82 per cent coverage of routine immunisation among children under five across the 14 local government areas of the state, the Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Kabiru Ahmad Janyau, has announced.
The commissioner made the announcement yesterday at the state monthly taskforce routine immunisation feedback meeting with key stakeholders and developmental partners working on routine immunisation in Gusau, the state capital, saying that the state in the past three years had recorded significant improvement of reaching target children to be immunised on monthly basis.
He said none of the 14 local government councils recorded below 82 per cent coverage of Oral Polio Vaccine 3 and Penta 3 vaccine during the September routine immunisation data assessment submitted to government by World Health Organisation(WHO) in the state.
Represented by the state Director, Primary Health Care, Alhaji Yusuf A Musa, explained that since 2012, the state had not recorded any polio case, and called on parent and guardians to continue carrying their children to the nearest facilities for immunisation when they are due, to be allowing their children to be immunised during immunisation polio days.
While commending developmental partners, WHO, UNICEF, Save the Children, Rotary International, Center for Diseases Control, and MNCH2 project for their continuous support to routine immunisation activities, he lamented over the low coverage of Bacillus Calmette –Guerin vaccine and Tetanus vaccine which is below national minimum target (82%).
He re-iterated the state government commitment in ensuring conducive environment, and necessary support to all parties that are willing to support government in eradicating six killer diseases among children of the state.
