ABUJA – As nations mark this year’s World Immunization Week from April 24th through 30th, with the theme “For Every Generation, Vaccines Work,” the Solina Centre for International Development and Research (SCIDaR) has identified ways state and local governments can key in to ensure more access to vaccines for rural and hinterland communities in Nigeria.
This observation was made during a virtual interactive session with journalists to highlight SCIDaR’s efforts and viewpoints regarding the enhancement of immunization systems and uptake and was represented by Amina Abdulkarim, Associate Principal, SCIDaR, who leads actions pertaining to immunization, strengthening primary health care systems, and the introduction of new vaccines, among other responsibilities.
The session kicked off at 2:00pm and was hosted by Boluwatife Adetokumbo, Communications Department, SCIDaR, with Victor Adetimilehin, Communications Manager, SCIDaR, participating as well. Journalists from various media houses, including Health Pharm Media, asked varying questions concerning the state of immunization in Nigeria and challenges faced by it to Amina Abdulkarim, who gracefully responded on behalf of SCIDaR, detailing successes recorded by the foremost research institute and accepting that there was still more ground to cover.
Fielding questions from Health Pharm Media, Amina Abdulkarim encouraged states and local governments to provide resources that facilitate access to partially accessible areas, such as funding the transportation of health workers and taking ownership of the immunization drive, as well as pushing for accountability for it, hinting that people tend to respond favorably to what their leaders are interested in. “If the body language of the LGA chairman, or the governor, is one of not accepting mediocre performance in terms of coverage or the output of vaccination intervention, the people reporting to their supervisors will do more. There is an accountability piece that can happen a lot more at the state and local government level to be able to drive immunization figures up, in addition to support in resourcing as well,” Amina Abdulkarim added.
The associate principal of SCIDaR also identified the Northwest of Nigeria as having a lower immunization coverage, with Kano having more numbers of “zero-dose” children, those who have not received any dose of the Pentavalent vaccine, a 5-in-1, highly effective injection that protects children against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type b. Amina Abdulkarim noted that seeking to understand the perspective of the locals and thereafter designing solutions that fit them will drive down the zero-dose population, cautioning against an episodic event and promoting a continuous and sustained effort to increase the figures relating to immunization.
Solina Centre for International Development and Research is a Nigerian non-profit organization with headquarters in Abuja but has a presence in 13 African countries, partnering with governments to improve immunization and primary health care, amongst other capabilities they possess. They are domiciled at 8 Libreville Crescent, Wuse 2, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria. For Health Pharm Media, Raymond Ken-Mbata, reporting.
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