Kuni Tyessi, Abuja
As the world celebrates the International Day of the Girl Child, every 10th October, a civil society organisation, Community Health for Research Initiative(CHR) has called on the federal government to make available Tetanus, Rubella and the Human Papiloma Virus (HPV) Vaccine, which offers protection against 70 per cent of incidences of Cervical Cancer, which claims the lives of an estimated 266,000 women and girls a year.
Community Health and Research Initiative (CHR) through its Chairman, Board of Trustees, Dr Aminu Magashi Garba, made the call on the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole to ensure that girls in hard to reach areas are not left behind and that all girls have access to important vaccines.
He said Nigeria is joining other organizations in over ten countries in Africa in launching the “33 Days to Power Up Immunization Campaign”. The campaign seeks to hold governments accountable for the multiple promises they have made to support immunization.
He said “In 2016, the continent marked significant achievements of interrupting the near elimination of Meningococcal Meningitis A epidemic and the significant reduction in disease burden and child mortality due to Measles.
“According to the Multi Indicator Coverage Survey/National Immunization Coverage Survey (MICS/NICS) report 2016 conducted in Nigeria, only 23 per cent of children (aged 12 – 23 months) are fully vaccinated with another 37 percent partially vaccinated. Some of the states in Northern Nigeria were reporting below 20 per cent immunization coverage.
“We recognize the efforts that have gone into reaching the current levels by the Nigerian government, however, much more needs to be done if we are to reach the 2020 goals that our government has set in the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) of reaching 90 per cent immunization coverage nationally and 80 per cent in every state by 2020.
“We call on the Nigerian government to prioritize increase in the national and states budget to finance immunization and ensure timely and efficient releases of immunization funds.
In January 2017, African Heads of States endorsed the Addis Declaration on Immunization, through which they acknowledged that despite their endorsement of the Global Vaccine Action Plan, they are largely off track. The ADI reinforces their commitment at the highest level of political engagement” he added.
