World Immunization Week: Save the Children mobilises stakeholders for effective coverage in Gombe

 As part of activities marking the World Immunization Week for 2017, Save the Children International has charged stakeholders in Gombe State on the need for a more enhanced participation and continuity of the immunization programme in the State.

Save the Children’s Advocacy and Communication Officer in the Gombe field office, Mr. Akpan Effiong, said during a two day advocacy tour of Billiri and Funakaye LGAs that the call became necessary in view of the growing dilapidation of cold chain facilities in the two Local Government Areas.

Investigations had earlier revealed that in both Billiri and Funakaye LGAs, only 23 cold chain equipments were functional out of the 48 cold chains in the two LGAs, thus, causing a lot of setbacks in immunization coverage in the areas. Out of the 16 in Billiri, only 7 are functional while only 16 are functional out of the 32 in Funakaye.

He called on the communities, especially the Ward Development Committees (WDCs) to evolve ways of ensuring that they own up the facilities and its maintenance so as to ensure hundred per cent potency of vaccines when administered during immunization days.

It was discovered that because of minor repairs that may not cost up to N5, 000 to N10, 000 on solar panels of the cold chains and other accessories, these equipment are left to waste due to neglect. The communities were called on to mobilize funds within themselves rather than allowing Government or donor agencies to help out, as this is the only effective way to ensure that potent vaccines are administered to the children.

While Funakaye LGA records 83 per cent compliance level of immunization, Billiri LGA recorded only 54 per cent compliance level. Billiri, Funakaye and two other LGAs out of the eleven LGAs in the State could not meet up with the 90 per cent targeted coverage.

But worried by its low performance and the dilapidated state of the cold chains in the area, the Chairman of Billiri Local Government Area, Honourable Farouk Dankuka, who was represented by his Deputy, Mrs. Margaret Modi directed the ten wards in the area to immediately call for an emergency meeting towards resolving the problems concerning immunization in the area.

According to her, “this situation is unacceptable, we can’t condone this with our level of enlightenment, we must own the programme through whatever means. I urge you to increase awareness campaigns in your various wards”.

However, in Bage Community in Funakaye Local Government Area, it was learnt that the WDC was able to realize not less than N1.4 million through community efforts in tackling its developmental problems of which the issue of cold chain was top most.

The Deputy Chairman of Funakaye LGA, Honourable Ibrahim Galadima who represented the Chairman, Honourable Ibrahim Yusuf Bajoga called for continuous collaboration between the Primary Health Care Department of the Local Government and the WDC’s for maximum success in the immunization programme.

He however regretted the lack of qualified manpower in the health sector of the Local Government Area but advised that volunteers be engaged from the WDCs especially during immunization days.

A recent finding has showed that 99 per cent of child illnesses the world over had decreased due to immunization efforts. The theme for the 2017 week is “Vaccines Work”.