Over 1.5m Zamfara residents receive COVID-19 vaccines – Official

Dr Tukur Sama’ila, the Executive Secretary, State Primary Health Care Board (PHCB), in Zamfara, says over 1.5 million people have received COVID-19 vaccines in the state.

Dr Sama’ila disclosed this in Gusau on Tuesday at the quarterly media engagement and sensitisation meeting organised by the board.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was attended by media representatives, health partners representatives and executives of health ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) in the state.

He said that the meeting is to intimate the media on programmes and activities of the board towards promoting health care delivery .

“We invite you to this meeting, especially the media, to seek your support in advocating various challenges and promotion of our activities,” he said.

According to him, the state was able to record the tremendous success despite the lingering security challenges.

He explained that out of 14 Local Government Areas of the state, Anka has the highest performance record with 57 per cent achievement.

“We are hoping that by September this year, other LGAs are expected to achieve up to 70% per cent achievement records”, he added.

The Executive Secretary decried the low health facility delivery by pregnant women in the state.

He noted that women “having their babies in their homes is one of the major challenges, we are facing in Zamfara.

“This is very wonderful, the Antenatal Care (ANC) data is always rising in our facilities but 70 to 80 per cent of our pregnant women attend ANC in hospitals but when it comes to delivery it is very low.

“Another area of challenge is immunisation, we have the vaccine, we have eligible children, but the vaccine is not getting to children.

“We have problems of non compliance, non-availability of children, religious and cultural challenges from communities,” he said.

According to him, behavioural change is also a major issue of concern therefore, it needs to be given a serious attention.

“We are also appealing for media to advocate on COVID-19 vaccination, child birth spacing to the general public in the state to address various misconception about them,” he added.

In a remark, the Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Health, Aliyu Maikiyo, reiterated commitments of the state government to continue supporting health care delivery.

“We are all aware that the present administration under Gov. Bello Matawalle, constructed 147 standard Primary Health Care Centers in each of the 147 political wards across the 14 LGAs of the state.

“Recent recruitment of health personnel for general hospitals in the state, establishment of state contributory health care agency and upgrading of state-owned drugs management agency, among others, are among major efforts by this administration.

“The present administration has been making efforts in the payment of counterpart funding for various partnership programmes to promote health care delivery in the state,” Maikiyo explained.

The Permanent Secretary commended partners, especially UNICEF and the WHO, for their kind support to the state in the area of health care delivery.

Also speaking, the Programme Manager, State Emergency, Routine immunisation Coordination Center, Mustafa Alinkilo called on the media to intensify awareness campaign on immunisation, health facility delivery and ANC activities in the state.

Alinkilo also emphasized the need for more awareness to members of the public on integrated Primary Health Care services. (NAN)