Abuja, 20 October 2016 - The Governor of Taraba in the north east has directed all immunization implementers and stakeholders in the state to support government by ensuring that all migrant children and those found in border settlements are fully immunized against polio.

At a ceremony in Jalingo, the state capital on 15 October, 2016 to kick start the sub-national round of polio outbreak response activities, Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku, represented by the Deputy Governor Alhaji Haruna Manu said government is redoubling  efforts to “ensure all children are protected against childhood killer diseases with adequate provision of necessary resources to support immunization activities in the state. He therefore urged “all caretaker committee chairmen and their council members to personally monitor and supervise immunization activities in  their local government areas (LGAs)   especially in border areas”. Located in the north east, Taraba also shares extensive borders with Cameroun Republic.

The governor further disclosed that the state has adopted the federal government’s initiative of Universal Health Access through primary healthcare (PHC) and is in the process of “repositioning the state PHC Development Board to adopt the minimum service package for different health facilities and make functional , at least one healthcare center in each of the senatorial zones to operate round the clock”.

For the sub-national campaigns, 31,540,054 children are targeted to be vaccinated with oral polio vaccine across 18 states in the north east, north west and north central zones of the country including Taraba state.

On the occasion of the flag off of the campaign, the Minister of State for Health Dr Osagie Ehinare, while appreciating the efforts of the government in providing quality healthcare services, said his ministry will look into the request by the state for more cold chain equipment.

Speaking on behalf of Global Polio Eradication Initiative partners, the acting World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative Dr Rex Mpazanje, expressed the readiness of partners to support state and federal governments to interrupt transmission of the polio virus.

In a related development, WHO is providing technical assistance to Nigeria’s most populous city of Lagos to close immunity gaps due to documented high number of un-immunized children in 50% of the LGAs. Lagos recorded the last case of WPV in 2009 but large cohorts of susceptible children remain a source of concern despite continued supportive supervision by WHO personnel to health facilities.

Latest analysis of immunization data also revealed that the number of planned and conducted outreach vaccination sessions are far below expectation across 20 local government (LGAs) with prevailing  poor participation of Community Development Associations (CDAs). To date, WHO supported data analysis down to the ward level to identify those with accumulated high number of un-immunized children in LGAs identified as high risk.

In his presentation during a sensitization meeting with over 300 CDAs, Dr Sunday Abidoye, the WHO State Coordinator called for stronger political support, increased awareness among mothers/caregivers and mobilization by CDAs for enlightenment in public places such as motor parks and markets. He disclosed that WHO procured 368 megaphones to support health facilities conducting routine immunization with more than four planned outreach sessions every month.

Other challenges identified during discussions include low utilization of the health facilities by mothers /caregivers; inadequate logistics for Ward Development Committee members to visit, plan and supervise immunization and community disease surveillance activities in riverine settlements of the state.

As part of action points following the meeting, which was moderated by Chief Richard Ajayi, the chairman of Kosofe LGA, it was agreed that henceforth, data from private facilities be harmonized into the LGAs data; state and LGAs to support the conduct of awareness within the communities; and WHO to further support the Ministry of Health in  distribution of immunization and surveillance posters to educate mothers.

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01 Taraba Deputy Governor Alhaji Haruna Manu immunizing a child at the flag off ceremony in Jalingo while the Minister of State for Health looks on

02 The acting WR immunizing a child at a flag off ceremony in Jalingo, Taraba State