Enugu Govt kicks-off Meningitis A vaccination, targets one million children

In a bid to provide adequate healthcare delivery for its citizenry,  the Enugu State Government has commenced meningitis  A vaccination  exercise,  targeting  one million children. 
Executive Secretary of  the Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA), Dr George Ugwu, made this known while briefing newsmen in Enugu.
He  said that the massive Meningitis A  vaccination which will last  for six days would be held between December 6 and 11, and that there might be a mop-up exercise of additional two days if need be. 
He disclosed  that Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi would perform the flag-off of the exercise  on December 10 at Abakpa Primary Healthcare Centre in Enugu East Local Government Area.
Dr Ugwu  hinted  that the ENS-PHCDA in collaboration with  the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, UNICEF and other partners had trained 495 health personnel teams for the conduct of the exercise.
In his words,  “It will be massive as we have sensitised all stakeholders to it since preventive medicine is cheaper and better than curative medicine.
“We are going to penetrate all nooks and crannies of the state starting with all markets in the state from tomorrow, Saturday, and then to all religious centres on Sunday.
“We have informed and collaborated with the State Ministry of Education to ensure all schools have classes on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week to allow us reach the children.
“We are calling on parents and caregivers to avail their children’s teachers their immunisation cards for proper recording.
“We are also setting up special outreach centres in hard-to-reach areas with difficult terrain or remoteness, so that we can catch them and ensure that no child is left out in this statewide exercise.”
The Executive Secretary said  that the state agency had before now embarked on massive sensitisation on the Meningitis A vaccination programme and had mobilised all hands on deck to ensure a huge success.
“We are targeting over 100 per cent coverage to surpass the 97 per cent coverage we had in the last statewide immunisation on Measles that ended on December 3 earlier this week.
According to him,  “We will continue to use local language in radio and televisions jingles to herald the exercise as well as newspapers to let our people know the need to vaccinate their children against meningitis.” 
The executive secretary continued, “It will be massive as we have sensitised all stakeholders to it since preventive medicine is cheaper and better than curative medicine.
“We are going to penetrate all nooks and crannies of the state starting with all markets in the state from tomorrow, Saturday, and then to all religious centres on Sunday.
“We have informed and collaborated with the State Ministry of Education to ensure all schools have classes on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week to allow us reach the children.
“We are calling on parents and caregivers to avail their children’s teachers their immunisation cards for proper recording.
“We are also setting up special outreach centres in hard-to-reach areas with difficult terrain or remoteness, so that we can catch them and ensure that no child is left out in this statewide exercise,’’ he said. He urged the media to assist them in enlightening the members of the public on the  exercise 
Ugwu noted that the state agency had before now embarked on massive sensitisation on the Meningitis A vaccination programme and had mobilised all hands on deck to ensure a huge success. He noted that, “This is a Christmas package for our children from the governor and for them all to remain healthy.” 
“We are targeting over 100 per cent coverage to surpass the 97 per cent coverage we had in the last statewide immunisation on Measles that ended on Dec. 3 earlier this week.
“We will continue to use local language in radio and televisions jingles to herald the exercise as well as newspapers to let our people know the need to vaccinate their children against meningitis,’’ he said.
He thanked Ugwuanyi for approving and joining immunisation-partners in the state in providing the vaccination package.