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By Victor Adeoti
The United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF) says it will continue to provide the required immunisation vaccine for most marginalised Nigerian children, irrespective of class, race or demography.
Mrs Celine Lafoucriere, Chief UNICEF Field Officer, South-West, Nigeria, said this on Thursday at a two-day media dialogue on routine immunisation in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the event was themed “Achieving the Health Sector SDGs for Over Two Million Children at Risk of Death in Nigeria.”
Lafoucriere explained that UNICEF would also ensure that no child in Nigeria was left behind, no matter where they live; mostly children in hard- to-reach areas, to provide immunisation for their well being.
“No matter where they live, we will ensure that no child in Nigeria is left to suffer preventable diseases due to lack of immunisation.
“Vaccine remain a fundamental right of every child and they remain fundamental to improving health outcomes and reducing inequalities,” she said.
In her presentation, Mrs Aderonke Akinola-Akinwole, UNICEF Social and Behavioural Change Specialist, said the organisation would continue to focus more on the most marginalised children in Nigeria.
Akinola-Akinwole said that UNICEF was equally working with the Nigerian government and other international partners in procuring high-quality potent vaccines and making them available in the country.
The UNICEF social behaviour specialist, who noted that vaccines trust and demand remain a challenge in the public health space, said that UNICEF was supporting the development and implementation of communication and non communication strategies to build vaccine trust and generate demand to address it.
“UNICEF support grassroots advocacy, community engagement, and social mobilisation activities to identify missed children, promote positive health, seeking behaviour for routine immunisation uptake,” she said.
Akinola-Akinwole said that a specific schedule of vaccine delivered to children from birth to 15 months and nine years for girls to protect them from vaccine-preventable diseases.
She, however, called on government for adequate financing for functional, efficient and resilient healthcare facilities, and to address the human gap in the health sector.
Also speaking, Dr Adetona Akinpelu, Immunisation Programme Officer, Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board, said the board would on Oct.19 commenced a two-week state wide immunisation exercise against vaccine preventable diseases.
Akinpelu said that the essence of the planned state wide immunisation was to bridge the gap created in the past two to three years especially, during COVID-19 pandemic. (NAN)(www.nannnews.ng)
Edited by Tayo Ikujuni
