UNICEF, Borno moves to immunize 2.1 million children against preventable deaths 

According to him, the initiative targeted at behavioral changes and mobilize caregivers to vaccinate their wards against childhood diseases and reduce vaccines preventable deaths among children.

By Ladi Jossy,  Maiduguri 

 The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Borno youth advocates has moved to adopt digital measures to improve the children vaccination uptake of 2.1 million  and reduce child mortality in Borno State.

Joseph Senesie, Acting UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office speaking during the flagging off ceremony with theme ” The ADOPT-A-PHC challenge” held in Maiduguri on Tuesday. 

He noted that 30 youths community vanguard would work with health workers  in Maiduguri metropolis and Jere councils to drives the campaigns at 10 primary healthcare facilities. 

According to him, the initiative targeted at behavioral changes and mobilize caregivers to vaccinate their wards against childhood diseases and reduce vaccines preventable deaths among children.

He noted that children are not vaccinated because of various reasons including beliefs, insecurity, hard to reach locations, even getting health workers to those locations is difficult, however UNICEF is  partnership with the state primary health care agency and our donors to ensure vaccination is reaching to every child.

“Yeah,Today we the adopted phc innovative approach, where UNICEF is working with youth in Borno state to ensure children are vaccinated. As you all know, vaccination is critical to prevent disease, and we are talking about children that have never received vaccination, zero dose. 

“So we are trying to catch up and ensure we get children vaccinated against measles, polio and the like. We are planning to immunize 2.1 million children against preventable deaths. 

Joseph added, “UNICEF is providing technical capacity. UNICEF is providing the necessary financial support through donors, in particular the Canadian International. So UNICEF is in the background, doing all the support that’s needed to ensure these youths who are so vibrant in the community, can reach out to their communities to ensure vaccination rates are improved,”he reiterated.

Abdulkadir Ahmed, Project Coordinator, highlighting that they aimed to countering misinformation and disinformation about vaccines in communities across Maiduguri Metropolitan and Jere councils areas of the state.

“This challenge is geared toward educating and campaigns to increase vaccination in the community but then there is resistance because of disinformation and misinformation as well as the fear of the safety of vaccines. So, the youths will be using our digital approach to correct this abnormalities in our communities.”he disclosed.

Hassan Abubakar and Hajiya Yagana Shettima directors Primary health care Maiduguri and Jere councils respectively, commended the UNICEF for their unwavering commitment to the healthy children and society.