From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Few years ago, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) identified the need to engage the traditional and community leaders in their effort to improve immunization records across the states, particularly in the North.
To this end, NPHCDA with the support from international partners, notably, United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and several others, facilitated a regular meeting of the traditional rulers, particularly from the north, to chart a cause that would herald improved immunization records in the north.
NPHCDA and other stakeholders had raised concerns that the posterity of the northern Nigeria might be threatened if political, traditional and community leaders fail to improve the poor records of children immunization against communicable and non-communicable diseases.
Periodically, meeting is organized in Abuja and elsewhere for the traditional rulers to assess the progress of their efforts towards improving immunization records in their respective communities, and impressive reports were being recorded.
Executive Director, NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, in one of the meetings in Abuja, appealed to the traditional rulers and community leaders to support the dream of the Agency to produce a healthy nation and people starting with having children that are fully immunized against communicable and non-communicable diseases.
He reminded the traditional rulers of the fact that they command huge respect and loyalty from their people, hence they are the right people for the task of mobilization at community levels for improved participation in immunization.
In Kebbi State, records of immunization and other child care and protection programmes are low, in spite of consistent efforts by the State government, traditional rulers, international partners and other stakeholders.
However, the Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Samaila Muhammad Mera, has vowed to use his position to make necessary corrections and protect the posterity of Kebbi State and other children in the north.
He observed that immunization has been helpful in the production of healthy children who would be able to contribute economically, intellectually, socially, and in other areas to the growth and development of the State, and failure to do that would have devastating effect on the future of the state.
The Royal Father, being a prominent member of the Northern Nigeria Traditional Council on Polio Eradication and Primary Health Care, promised to continually be active in seeing that children under the age of five in Kebbi State and other parts of Northern Nigeria are administered necessary vaccines that would protect them against diseases.
He made reference to the success recorded on poliomyelitis vaccination across Kebbi state, adding, “we have come a very long way on campaign of immunization and most of the significant progress we have made on this virus was as a result of 10 years marathon campaign across the country.
“We have addressed all issues raised by critics on whether the vaccine was good for humanity or not. Of course, there is no country on earth that rejected polio vaccines. All countries of the world are signatories to UN chattered agreement on the vaccination of children against polio. But few critics complained that the vaccine was bad, but that was their opinion which they are entitled to.
“Vaccination takes place across the world. If you decided not to immunise your child against non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, among others, that is your choice as long as the disease would not infect others. But on polio, which is communicable disease, the world can not allow you to endanger the lives of others. If a child is harbouring the virus, the entire world is in trouble because through mere contact, another person could be infected.
“In Nigeria, we are highly mobile and we are travelling to many parts of the country. So, we can not abandoned our responsibilities to protect our people as a responsible leaders. Regarding COVID-19, disinformation was practically responsible for the high level of vaccine-hesitancy.
“Nevertheless, we will not relent in convincing the people of Argungu and environs to get vaccinated and to adhere to COVID-19 prevention precautions. I have taken the vaccine and it made me feel more safe, as i combine it with continued use of my nose mask. The shot was a bit painful, but the discomfort went away after a little while.
“In my Emirate, I have been leading efforts to get the COVID-19 vaccines to every home. But the vaccination campaign has been tough as much misinformation has been peddled about the virus and its antidote. I was bombarded with lots of information but was finally convinced to take the COVID-19 vaccine when I remembered the earlier action taken by World leaders to lock down cities, towns and places of worship in the world.
“These actions had serious impact on economic, social, and religious activities of people worldwide. We don’t want such again, hence we must comply with the rules and if that means taking the vaccine, then that is what we must do.”
Speaking on COVID-19, an Islamic scholar, Mallam Suleiman Usman, explained that Kebbi State recorded low cases of COVID-19 infection and deaths because residents were fully informed about the virus and how dangerous it was to human.
Usman noted that, in Kebbi state, expecially at the urban communities, residents were mindfull of who was visiting them at the peak of the lockdown and how to protect themselves from being infected, noting that, at various Mosques, worshippers do apply caution while prayers were shortened at the peak of the pandemic.
Speaking of the vaccination, Dr. Obinna Orjungene, a Medical Consultant in Kebbi State and Consultant with UNICEF maintained that COVID-19 vaccine has been proven to be safe for human use, urging Nigerians to get vaccinated in order to protect themselves and loved ones from COVID-19.
He maintained that the vaccine has carefully gone through clinical trials, tested and experimented by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and certified for human usage.
He said: “It is better to be vaccinated than to allow people to be dying. WHO has certified the vaccines and we should not look at the side effects of it and decided not to take it. All vaccines have side effects, but as long as it would reduce the epidemic, we should allow ourselves to be vaccinated.”
Meanwhile, Hajia Maryam Sanusi Jega, a nursing mother at Federal Medical Center, Birnin Kebbi, explained that since she has been giving birth, there was no time she regretted patronizing hospital to receive immunization and other available vaccines for her children.
She confirmed that traditional rulers have played great roles in educating and mobilizing nursing mothers in rural communities to present their children for immunization and enjoy the benefits thereof.
She said: “State government had told their husbands through traditional rulers, village Heads about the importance of polio vaccines, measles vaccine and others, and urged them to champion the campaign. I have always present my new borns and others to health center and public hospitals for appropriate immunization.”
At Yahyah Memorial Hospital, Mondays and Fridays are designated days for routine immunization, and records indicated that no fewer than 200 nursing mothers usually comes to receive immunization for their children.
Hajia Aishatu Abdulkadir, a nursing mother, explained that she and her husband had gotten enough enlightenment from various health workers during her first pregnancy and through radio stations and television on the importance of immunization. “These immunizations would prevent them from measles, polio, and other communicable diseases during their childhood stages.”
Another nursing mother, Hajia Fatimata Kalgo, said she has been properly educated on benefits of immunization, hence all her children were fully immunized and were given certificates of full immunization.
A nurse at the care center who pleaded anonymity explained that, Kebbi state government has provided necessary vaccines for various immunization for babies at different ages.
She said that what the nursing mothers does is to come over from their various villages on the appointment day to receive immunization for their babies.
Former Permanent Secretary, Kebbi State Ministry of Health, Hajia Halima Dikko, confirmed that the state government had released N23 million counterpart funding as part of measure to ensure that about 98,000 children were captured in the ongoing measles campaign in the state.
She said the state has partnered with other international partners, notably, WHO, UNICEF and NPHCDA to work against the killer disease following its outbreaks in the state with 77 cases confirmed.
Dikko explained that the official flag off of the measles vaccination campaign at Bagudu local government was due to its proximity to Benin Republic where many immigrants especially children came into the state without being immunized against the disease.
In 2017, UNICEF introduced Multiple Micronutrients Powder (MMNP) to mothers and caregivers in Kebbi and Adamawa States, to assist them tackle the challenges of malnutrition in the states.
The Powder contains necessary and essential nutrients required for speedy and healthy development of a child in his or her first 23 months. This, apparently, was to complement the work of the Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) in the fight against malnutrition in Kebbi and other states with high burden of malnutrition.
Avaliable data indicated that Kebbi State is among states in Nigeria with high burden of malnutrition which often lead to stunted growth among children of development age.
However, years of several interventions heralded significant improvement in the situation but it’s still a cause for concern for the state government and international donor agencies involved in the response to malnutrition and other child health issues in Nigeria.