Rivers Surpasses Immunisation Target

The Rivers State Ministry of Health has exceeded the target for this year’s second round of National Immunisation Plus Days (MIPDs).

The Director of Public Health in the ministry, Akuro Okujagu who disclosed this in a chat with The Tide in his office, stated that the target for the second round of this year’s NIPDs was 1,267,463 children, representing 20 per cent of the population declaring, however that 1,434,156 children, representing 113 per cent were eventually immunised.

He attributed the success to hardwork and determination of the health workers and the cooperation of the people, lamenting however that there were still cases of non-compliance.

He noted, however, that the non-compliant cases were quickly resolved, stating that most of the cases were in schools discovered to be not yet approved by the state Ministry of Education and “the proprietors of such schools don’t present themselves for meetings and briefing.”

Earlier, at a briefing of monitors, mobilisation officers and donor representatives, the health workers, pointed out some of their challenges, noted that some local government councils were not supportive of the exercise, and that funding was not provided to facilitate the process.

They also complained that house owners rejected the markings on their house, while churches insisted on closing first, which put the immunisers under pressure, thereby slowing the process.

Other challenges observed by the health workers were, lack of logistics, which they said impaired movement of vaccines and ice packs from place to place and lack of aprons to appropriately identify the immunisers.

Representative of donor agencies, Stanley Osum, noted that it was important that boarder communities give adequate attention to avoid re-infection and appealed to the local government council bosses to be supportive of the immunisation programme.

Tonye Nria-Dappa