By Muhammad Amaan
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) is to partner with the media to ensure effective advocacy ahead of the 2024 supplementary immunisation.
This is contained in a communique issued on Tuesday at the end of a media orientation workshop for the 2024 integrated Supplementary Immunisation Activities (SIAs) meeting held in Abuja.
The communique was co-signed by representatives of the Print and Electronic media and the NPHCDA.
The NPHCDA in collaboration with partners, held a media orientation workshop to sensitize them on the programmes of 2024 integrated SIAs.
The media orientation workshop was also carried out for them to identify the roles and responsibilities of the media in ensuring the success of the 2024 SIAs programme.
It was equally aimed at securing the commitment and support of the media community in the 2024 immunisation programme.
The 2024 integrated SIAs will be held in 26 selected states namely; Anambra, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Lagos, Rivers, Ekiti, Ogun, and Ondo.
Others are Osun, Oyo, Benue, FCT, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Zamfara, Yobe and Borno.
Participants emphasised on the importance of advocacy, effective information dissemination and adequate support of the campaign strategy.
They recommended that the NPHCDA should be timely and accurate dissemination of information to support communication and mobilisation of all expected groups for the vaccination.
Participants urged the agency to provide adequate personnel for the campaigns and support training and capacity building for relevant stakeholders.
The media representatives on their part reiterated their commitment to supporting the success of integrated SIAs efforts.
“We commit to effective amplification of messages on vaccination importance, dissemination of accurate information to address issues of vaccine resistance and misinformation,” the communique reads.
The parties recognised the critical role of vaccination in preventing and controlling vaccine-preventable diseases.
The Director of Advocacy and Communications of NPHCDA, Dr Ladan Aliyu, said that 2024 integrated SIAs objectives include achieving 95% vaccination coverage for Measles/Polio, 80% coverage for Yellow Fever, and achieving 85% coverage of zero-dose children in targeted LGAs.
He said that there would be vaccines for cases of Yellow Fever, Measles/Polio, Tetanus and Diphtheria (TD), Human Papilloma Virus, among others.
The director said that the NPHCDA was aware of the activities of anti-immunisation campaigners, but noted that they factored the said challenge in their planning stage so as to mitigate it.
“We have what we call Crisis Communication Plan for addressing issues at both national and sub-national levels, depending on the peculiarity of the case.
“The crisis communication plan is being implemented by experts; they are dispelling and quelling some of these rumours that stop people from being immunised.
“Bringing in traditional and religious leaders who are close to every community, to carry out this campaign is also part of our strategy to dispel some of the rumours carried out by anti-immunisation campaigners,” he said.
Dr Aliyu who said that the integrated SIAs campaign would commence this month (September), appreciated the Media’s continued support in ensuring the population receives accurate information.
