REPORTER: UCHE NDEKE
The Anambra State government has commenced Measles-Rubbela vaccination in the state.
At the ceremony which took place at Iruzu Primary Health Centre, Ukpo, Dunukofia Local Government Area, the Wife of the Anambra State Governor, Mrs Nonye Soludo said the ceremony officially marks the state-wide administration of the vaccine to children across the state.
The Measles-Rubbela Vaccine Introduction Campaign in Anambra State is run in partnership with national and global partners, including the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the World Health Organization (WHO), the UNICEF and other key counterparts.
Radio Nigeria correspondent Uche Ndeke reports that Rubbela is a variant of measles, with a significant threat to children from 9 months to 14 years.
Speaking during the commencement ceremony, the governor’s wife, Mrs Soludo, who was represented by the wife of the Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Lady Oluchi Ibezim stated that vaccination remains one of the most effective ways to protect Anambra children, quietly, safely, and, most importantly, early.
She noted that some children may have mild reactions after vaccination like a little fever, slight swelling, but reassured that whle those signs would pass quickly, what should concern parents more was not allowing the preventable disease to thrive in the state.
Mrs Soludo also reassured parents and caregivers that health workers who would be taking part in the exercise are trained and prepared for the task, noting that support systems and referral sites have been effectively put in place to deal with any concern.
The governor’s wife also appealed to stakeholders, including parents, local government Chairmen, schools, and religious leaders, to assist in making the programme a success by ensuring that over 98% of children in Anambra State are vaccinated.
In his remarks, the Zonal Director of National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Doctor Samuel Obasi, noted that Measles and Rubbela remain one of the major threats to child health in Nigeria, but with the state government’s strong commitment to health, there is assurance that the vaccination programme will achieve massive success.
For his part, the Zonal Coordinator of the World Health Organization, Doctor. Chimuanya Igboekwu explained that Measles and Rubella share almost the same symptoms, making individual vaccinations for the sicknesses incomplete without covering both.
He assured that the WHO and other partners are solidly behind the state government to ensure full coverage in all the 326 wards in Anambra State, targeting about 2.7 million children across markets, churches, schools, worship centres and even hard-to-reach communities in the state.
In their remarks, the Commissioner for Health, Doctor Afam Obidike and the Executive Secretary of Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Mrs Chisom Uchem, explained that adequate monitoring and supervision had already been put in place to ensure that all stakeholders were effectively mobilized to achieve maximum coverage in the programme.
