UNICEF harps on immunisation of children against life-threatening diseases, infections

The United Nations Children Funds, UNICEF has emphasised the need for every child in Nigeria to be immunised to protect them against life-threatening diseases and infection.

While disclosing that 2.3 million children were yet to receive vaccines in the country, the Chief UNICEF Field Officer, South-West, Nigeria, Celine Lafoucriere, stated that such children are mostly in marginalised areas and hard-to-reach areas.

Lafoucriere, who stated this in Lagos State, during a two-day media dialogue to enhance routine immunisation and to reduce zero doze children tagged ‘Achieving the health SDGs for over two million children at risk of death in Nigeria,’ maintained that vaccines remain essential to the health of children.

According to her, “We still have a very pressing challenge in Nigeria, where 2.3 million children still have received no vaccines at all. These are called the zero-doze children and are mostly in marginalised areas, and hard-to-reach areas, and vaccines remain essential to their health.

“Vaccines are an essential fundamental right to every child, and they remain fundamental to improving health outcomes and reducing inequalities,” she said.

Advertisement

While emphasising that UNICEF is in collaboration with the government and other partners to address the challenge, she stressed that areas with the highest concentration of zero-dose children were being prioritised.

“To achieve this in Nigeria, UNICEF, together with the government and other partners, has prioritised 100 local government areas across 18 states with the highest concentration of those zero-dose children that need us. They need us right now, and we need you, the media, to join hands to accelerate the rate of immunisation in Nigeria to ensure that by each year we increase the rate of vaccinated children by 50 percent.

With an appeal to the media to assist UNICEF in the sensitisation of Nigerians on the importance of vaccines, she said, “This cannot be done without you; please join hands with us today to ensure that we can leverage your influence.

“Your own influence is very important. You can catalyse actions and help dispel rumours and misinformation about vaccines. By working collectively, we can build a resilient health system that is capable of reaching each and every child, leaving no one behind. No matter where they live, we must ensure that no child in Nigeria suffers from preventable diseases.”

On his part, the Assistant Immunisation Programme Officer, Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board, LSPHCB, Dr Adeniyi Adebayo, who emphasised the need for every child to be fully immunised, noted that vaccines formed the bedrock of economic development.

According to him, zero-dose children were those who were not immunised from birth, adding that children in that category were prone to diseases and infections.

Adebayo also said that under-immunised children were the ones whose immunisations were not completed, stressing that all vaccines and immunisations in the country were free, urging parents to make the best use of the opportunity to get their children immunised from birth.