By Nnedinma Okeke
The Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ASPHCDA) in collaboration with State Ministry of Health (SMOH) and Partners hold one-day Education Stakeholders engagement meeting for upcoming Integrated Measles Vaccination Campaign in Anambra State.
The meeting had in attendance Education Secretaries/Officers-In-Charge from the 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the State, Partners: NPHCDA, UNICEF, CHAI, and AFENET together with ASPHCDA team.
The Executive Secretary, ASPHCDA, Pharm Chisom Uchem represented by the Director Disease Control and Immunization, ASPHCDA, Dr Nnamdi Placid Uliagbafusi noted that the Education Stakeholders play a crucial role in ensuring success of the campaign in the State.
She urged the Stakeholders to be Ambassadors and help spread the gospel of the vaccination campaign aimed at protecting children as the meeting would aid in equipping them on the necessary information they may need.
The NPHCDA Anambra State Coordinator, Mr Obioha Agbakwuru expressed gratitude to Education Stakeholders and the Media for support given to previous Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIAs) conducted in the past.
He noted that they occupy strategic positions in providing mobilisation and ensuring that target population of SIAs were achieved.
“Presently we are about conducting the Intergrated Measles campaign and we solicit for your continuous support in ensuring that Anambra achieves its 95 percent coverage target for the exercise whilst ensuring that no eligible child of nine to 59 months is missed.
“Most of the target population to be vaccinated for the Measles campaign would be reached in schools, which is why the Media and Education Secretaries/Officers-In-Charge play a crucial role in this exercise.”
He, then, on behalf of NPHCDA solicited for the Stakeholders continued support in ensuring that all eligible children in respective schools in the 21 LGAs of the State are vaccinated during the Intergrated Measles campaign.
The UNICEF SBC Consultant, Dr Uju Eze emphasized the importance and role of the Stakeholders, as most of the target groups for the vaccination are in schools. She gave an overview of the 2024 Intergrated SIAs, noting that the meeting would create an avenue for discussions on success of the campaign.
Mrs Chinenye Udeani, CHAI Technical Assistant explained that the Measles campaign was Intergrated as it could be leveraging on the activity to create awareness/sensitize girls and parents/caregivers on the benefits of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Vaccine.
The Anambra State Health Educator (SHE), Mrs Uju Onwuegbuzina anchoring the meeting, urged all hands to be on deck in ensuring that no eligible child for the vaccination is left unimmunized in Anambra State.
*Nnedinma is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State