By Our Reporter
Adamawa Commissioner of Health, Dr Fatima Atiku, says the state is marking this year’s ongoing African Vaccination Week (AVW) with vaccinations and other health intervention in some selected communities across the state.
Atiku made this known in Yola while briefing newsmen on activities line up for the week.
Atiku said routine immunization coverage in the state has risen from 56 per cent in 2017 to 81 per cent in the first quarter of 2019.
She said this year’s theme:”Protected together: Vaccines work!” called for collective action on immunization in Africa as well as underscored the role everyone needed to play in promoting the the use of vaccines to save lives.
“While government makes efforts to ensure availability of safe and potent vaccines, parents and caregivers have the responsibility of making their children available at various health facilities across the state for vaccination.
“This is crucial for achieving the target of universal immunization coverage by the year 2020, thus contributing to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and Universal Health Coverage,” Atiku said.
The commissioner said that some of the measures taken by the state to increase vaccines coverage included the inauguration of state nomadic working group for routine immunization for families of herdsmen and fishermen, adding that WHO and UNICEF hard to reach mobile teams were also supporting the state to service underserved population and area with difficult terrain.
“We have successfully inaugurated state Nomadic working group for routine immunization, while LGA working group will also be inaugurated next week to support compliance, upgrade and utilization of vaccines by the nomadic population.”
Atiku lauded the media for awakening the consciousness of the public to the importance of vaccination, and urged parents to ensure the safe keep of their children vaccination cards in case it would be needed in future to access some interventions.
The Africa Vaccination Week is an annual event celebrated during the last week of April with the aim to strengthen immunization programmes and increase awareness.
