…targets 30% zero doze children by 2025
The United Nations Children Fund, UNICEF, has expressed concern over the rate of children who have not been vaccinated in Nigeria, saying such put them at risk of life threatening diseases.
To this end, UNICEF called for support of stakeholders including the media to ensure that thirty percent of the affected children are captured by 2025.
Chief of UNICEF Field Office for Southwest, Celine Lafoucriere made the call in Lagos during a 2-day media dialogue on routine immunization organised by the agency in collaboration with the Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board.
She said:”Immunization remains an essential fundamental right of every child and they remain fundamental to improving health outcomes and reducing inequalities.
“We still have a very pressing challenge in Nigeria, where 2.3 million Children still have received no vaccines at all according to the NBS statistics. in UNICEF we call those Children zero dose Children.
“They are mostly in marginalised areas, hard to reach areas and vaccines remain essential to their health. To address this in Nigeria, UNICEF together with the government and valued partners like yourself, we have prioritised 100 LGA across 18 states with the highest concentration of those Children that need us.
“They need us right now and in collaboration with you with yourselves, we now need to join hands to accelerate the rate of immunisation in Nigeria.
In her presentation, UNICEF Social Behavior Change Communication Specialist, Aderonke Akinola-Akinwole called on government at all levels to improve its funding for the health sector to address financial gap in immunisation and reduce zero-dose children.
Akinola-Akinwole who emphasized the importance of immunisation in saving millions lives, stressed the need for the governments to intensify their efforts toward achieving universal immunization coverage.
She dispelled various misconceptions about immunization, saying the exercise is safe, healthy and would protect the children against diseases.
In a remark, the Assistant Immunisation Programme Officer, Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, Adeniji Abebayo emphasised also confirmed that an immunized society is a safe society.
He called on parents to always visit the Primary Health Care facilities close to them to get the necessary vaccines for their children.
