The Executive Secretary, Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr George Ugwu, has said a well-executed, successful immunisation coverage remains a shared responsibility of everybody in any given community.
He made this known in Enugu, on Thursday, while speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria on the impact of the World Immunisation Week.
Speaking on efforts made to deepen immunisation penetration and coverage in Enugu State by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, he said that immunisation should be a collective thing where all stakeholders play various roles for it to be effective and make the desired impact.
He noted that immunisation was the “surest and efficient way of pushing the narrative of preventive rather than curative medicine that works for the benefit of all”.
According to him, “We are using the opportunity presented this week to call on everybody to come on board as there is a role for everyone in immunisation.
“Stakeholders in immunisation include everybody in the family – father, mother and grown-ups; traditional, community, youth and religious leaders; the media, educated and enlightened people that exist in any given human community or environment.
“This is to ensure that immunisation penetration is deepened and very wide coverage achieved to ensure that no one, whether a child or adult, is left out,” he said.
Dr. Ugwu noted that immunisation was the surest way to reduce disease and its financial burden on families, neighbourhoods and communities across the world.
He said it has continued to reduce infant and maternal mortality in Enugu State, at the same time, ensuring good health for all, especially infants and children with low immunity.
He said, “We have continued to enlighten and sensitise our people that immunisation is the most cost-effective and efficient way of preventing, treating and fighting diseases, and in a massive way that touches all at the same time.
“It ensures a very healthy population as almost everybody in a targeted population group is reached and administered the immunisation that gives adequate and rounded protection, while it is safe and secured.”
The World Health Organisation earmarked World Immunisation Week to be celebrated annually in the last week of April.
This year’s celebration is themed, “The Big Catch Up”, and it kicked off on April 24, to end on April 30.
(NAN)
