By Danhassan Abubakar
Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Board (BSPHCDB) is targeting over 2.5 Million eligible children for measles and polio vaccinations across the 20 Local Government Areas of the State.
Towards achieving the target, over 3 million combined measles and polio vaccines was received by the BSPHCDB from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) Abuja.
The Executive Chairman (EC) of the BSPHCDB, Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed disclosed this at the official flag off ceremony of the Measles Integrated Immunization Campaign held on Saturday 2nd November, 2024 at Bayan Fada Health Care Centre.
He said adequate arrangements have been made by the State Government, with support from Implementing Partners, to reach all eligible children with the vaccines in all the nooks and crannies across the State.
The EC, who described the campaign as unique because of its integrated nature, appealed to caregivers to utilise such opportunity provided by the Five Days immunization exercise to fortify their children against all vaccines preventable diseases.
Dr. Mohammed disclosed that some of the outbreaks in children preventable being witnessed across the State was as result of Children not being administered with any immunization since birth, or those children that have started the immunization process but had not completed their doses.
He then thanked WHO, UNICEF, CDC, Red Cross and other partners for their consistent technical and logistics support before, during and after such campaigns.
There were goodwill messages from WHO, UNICEF, CDC- AFENET and other partners, all reiterating the importance of immunizing children as a pathway to healthy growth.
During ceremony, Red Cross Nigeria also supported BSPHCDB with other Ten Cartons of batteries to power health facilities’ hand-held megaphones and several flex banners heralding the Measles Integrated Immunization Campaign.