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The United Nations Children’s Fund has revealed that it is targeting nary less than 1,372,251 children betwixt the ages of 9 months and 14 years against measles and rubella successful Nasarawa State.
Head of UNICEF Kaduna Field Office, Dr Luqman Ahmed, disclosed this connected Friday during a Media Dialogue, Orientation and Mobilisation Session connected the Integrated Measles-Rubella Polio Vaccination Campaign held successful Lafia, the superior of Nasarawa State.
He said 1,560,000 children nether 5 would beryllium targeted for the caller oral polio vaccination (nOPV2) during the workout which is owed to commence from October 6.
Dr Ahmed explained that measles posed important threats to children contempt efforts to curb the menace, pointing retired that Nigeria has 1 of the highest numbers of zero-dose children successful the world.
He said the concern is compounded by the information that Rubella continued to endanger unborn children, amid the disturbing dispersed of variant poliovirus successful the country.
He said due to the fact that of the disturbing trend, UNICEF, successful collaboration with partners, is besides targeting 102 cardinal children successful the integrated vaccination drive.
“This historical measurement is imaginable done the enactment of our Government astatine some National and State levels, with beardown enactment from UNICEF, WHO, Gavi and partners.
“The MR vaccine is safe, paid for by the government, and disposable for each eligible children (9 months-14 years) astatine nary further charge.
“Our corporate enactment is perfectly needed to extremity the transmission of the deadly poliovirus by the extremity of 2025. We cognize the oral polio vaccine has brought down the incidents of paralysis owed to polioviruses by 99.9% astir the world. But to decision poliovirus, 95 per cent of each children beneath the property of 5 request to person the Oral Polio Vaccine successful each vaccination circular until the microorganism is wholly eradicated,” helium stated.
He urged the media to assistance successful mobilizing parents, caregivers and communities, “so that immunisation days are seen not arsenic routine, but arsenic moments of extortion and objection of attraction not conscionable against polio, but each regular immunizations including measles, rubella, HPV amongst others.”
The State Health Educator, Mr. Ishaya Amegwa, appreciated Governor Abdullahi Sule for embracing the initiative, portion urging different governors to emulate the gesture.
“Our politician was the archetypal to publically endorse the MR vaccine, and since then, we person engaged captious stakeholders, including legislators, accepted rulers, spiritual leaders, schoolhouse PTAs, and assemblage groups. The buy-in has been massive,” helium noted.
He noted that the run volition tally from October 6 to 15, with further mop-up days connected the 16th and 17th.
“We entreaty to parents and caregivers to guarantee nary kid is missed. This vaccine has been disposable globally since 1979 and is safe, effective, and escaped of charge,” helium stated.
English (US) ·