The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA)
has commended traditional leaders in Nigeria for the massive sensitisation that has resulted to increased percentage of routine immunisation coverage in the country.
It said routine immunization coverage increased from 33% recorded in 2016 to 71%.
The Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Faisal Shuaib made this known at the third quarterly meeting of the Northern Traditional Leaders Committee (NTLC) on Primary Health Care in Abuja.
He added that despite the huge success in routine immunisation coverage, there is the need for more integrated approach to ensure that all types of outbreaks stops.
He said: “working with the northern traditional leaders and committee on Primary Health care delivery, we’ve been able to mount outbreak responses to make sure that the tools that we are using will ensure that this outbreak stops.
“We are in control of the situation and hopeful that before the end of the raining season, we will be able to carry out enough campaigns to make sure that we are able to cover this and one other thing that is going to help us ensure that we don’t see this type of outbreaks again is the increase in routine immunization coverage.
“So since 2016 where we had routine immunization coverage of about 33%, we have now increased it up until 71%. So we have more than doubled routine immunization coverage but we need to get to around 90% before you stop seeing this type of outbreaks of diseases. We are not there yet but the unprecedented increase in routine immunization coverage is going to help us.
“One thing that is clear is that, there have never been such an increase in routine immunization coverage like we are seeing in Nigeria so we will continue to work with traditional leaders, they’ve been very instrumental in making sure that they convince mothers, fathers to take their children for routine immunization” he added.
The NPHCDA boss also reassured that country’s certification as wild polio virus free is not under threat.
He explained that there is a clear difference between the wild polio which has been eradicated in Nigeria and various parts of Africa and the current variant that has resurfaced.
According to him, the current Polio variant shows up where there is poor environmental sanitation and water as well as absence of routine immunisation.
“This is distinct from the current outbreak, it is a different type of polio virus. It is a virus that exists where there is low routine immunization and women are not taking their children to hospitals for routine immunization services.
“So they are not taking their children to take vaccine jabs against diseases like measles, yellow fever and polio. Then you begin to see that the vaccine-driven virus mutate just like you see that happening with the COVID-19 virus. This is why you have the outbreak of polio in different parts of the country, about 121 cases” He explained.
Speaking on COVID-19 vaccination, Dr Faisal Shuaib said the agency has been receiving requests from states for additional supply of vaccines.
He urged those who are yet to receive their second doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to do so stating that the vaccine is now available in all states across the country, while the Moderna vaccine is available for those who are yet to be vaccinated.
Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Samaila Mohammadu Mera who represented the Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar said traditional leaders are leading by example as they have all taken the COVID-19 jabs.
He assured that traditional leaders will encourage their followers to do same.
