GUSAU- The Zamfara Government says it is engaging various stakeholders to ensure the success of the forthcoming integrated Polio and Mesles-Rubella vaccination exercise that will commence on Monday.
They include partners such as United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), religious and traditional leaders, among several others.
The Executive Secretary, State Primary Health Care Board, Dr Yakubu Hussaini, disclosed this in Gusau on Saturday at the Strategic Media Dialogue with journalists, social media influencers and U-Reporters.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the media dialogue focused on the Integrated campaigns for measles-rubella and polio vaccination campaign.
The executive secretary said, “We work hand in hand with UNICEF, WHO and other development partners to ensure the success of the exercise in the state.
“The state government has engaged various stakeholders including traditional and religious leaders, community leaders and health workers among others,” he added.
Yakubu said that over 1200 teams of health workers comprising injectors and recorders had been mobilised to carry out the exercise in the 10, 000 settlements across the 147 wards of the 14 local government areas of the state.
“We engaged religious leaders to mobilise and educate members of the public on the importance of the vaccination campaign.
“All arrangements have been concluded for this campaign that will cover all the children in the state.
“We have strong partnership with traditional rulers across the state through the state Council of Chiefs to ensure mass mobilisation at the grassroots for the success of the exercise.
“Our Imams used Friday prayers’ sermons to educate the members of the general public on the importance of the vaccines for the safety of our children,” he explained.
Yakubu called on the members of the public, especially the parents to take advantage of the vaccination to protect their children against diseases.
He reiterated the state government’s commitment to ensure the successful conduct of the campaign.
Salahudeen said that children from nineonths to 14 years were to be administered with measles and rubella vaccine while children from birth to months would be receiving oral vaccine against polio. (NAN)
