The Katsina government has moved to immunise more than three million children against polio virus across the state.
Dr Shamsudeen Yahaya, the Executive Secretary, State Primary Healthcare Development Agency PHCDA, disclosed this during a one-day interactive session between the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), state government and journalists ahead of the commemoration of the World Immunisation Day in Katsina on Tuesday.
Yahaya who noted that, the immunisation exercise would be conducted spanning period of four days, from the 26 to 29 of this month, said the programme would also witness another mop up exercise which will last for additional two days.
He said the exercise would see the involvement of 3,700 independent monitors that include teachers and academicians, who would work to ensure the vaccine is administered to specifications.
The health agency boss maintained that, efforts are in top gear to create desired awareness through the media and other outlets, for parents to bring their wards to receive the vaccination.
“These awareness creation will also counter the misconceptions some parents have against the vaccine, as traditional rulers, civil society organisations, among others, will be involved in the process”.
Yahaya further revealed that, the state has 1,336 primary healthcare facilities that provide routine immunisation across the state, with 158 of them rehabilitated with the provision of essential facilities, including ambulances.
In addition, he stressed that another 102 health facilities would soon be revitalised, even as he encouraged parents to come out with their children to get immunised on the days of the exercise.
On his part, UNICEF Nutrition Manager, Kano, Dr Karanveer Singh lamented that one case of the polio virus has been discovered in Danmusa Local Government Area.
Singh, however, added that efforts must be made to ensure its eradication across the state, even as he reiterated UNICEF’s commitment to collaborate with state government to tackle the virus in the state.
