Immunization: Sub-NIPDs Records Success In Rivers

The four-day National Immunisation Plus Days (NIPDs) exercise in Rivers State has come to an end with a success rate of over 90 per cent.
Making this known to The Tide, the state Immunisation Officer, Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board (RSPHCMB), Dr Joseph Urang, said from the commencement of the exercise, last Saturday to yesterday, health officials successfully immunized children at the designated areas in the state.
The designated areas were in 12 settlements in 12 wards of two Local Government Areas, Ahoada West and Obio/Akpor.
The settlements are Enito 2 (Emezi) Betterland (Joinkrama), Mbiama (Mbiama), Ulaubie (Ebiriba), Ugbatoanwhunig bko (Odioku) and Oshika (Upatabo), all in Ahoada West Local Government Area.
The other settlements in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area are: Utachay (Ob Ward I, Haastrup (Ob Ward II), Haruk road, Apostolic close (Obi Ward 12), Mgbuoshimini Water side (Ob Ward 10), Okoa Street (Ob Ward 13), and Rumuchinwo (Ob Ward 14).
Dr Urang stated that although some challenges aroused in the course of carrying out the immunization, but the experience in Christ Embassy church was unexpected.
“We had several challenges in churches and schools, but we were able to resolve all and successfully immunized targeted children.
But at Christ Embassy Church, particularly at Haastrup, in Orazi, we could not carry out the exercise because the authorities there said they would have to hear from their General Overseer first”, Urang said.
Earlier in an interactive session with the media, the Director, Community Health Services, RSPHCMB, Dr Isaac Opurum, stated that the sub-NIPDs was targeted at designated areas in which last year’s polio immunization recorded below 90 per cent coverage.
On his part, the coordinator, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Rivers State, Dr Imoh Ukpong explained that the sub-NIPDs was necessitated by the fact that some areas were not covered during last year’s NIPDs.
According to him, “reasons for low coverage may be due to flooding, high human traffic, logistical issues which may make it impossible for immunization commodities to go round.
The immunization exercise was targeted at children from 0-59 months.

Sogbeba Dokubo