UNICEF expresses concern over rejection of immunisation in Jigawa, Kano, Katsina

<p>United Nations Children Funds (UNICEF) has raised concern over the high rate of children that have received zero doses of routine immunisation against childhood killer diseases in Jigawa, Kano and Katsina states.</p>, <p>The Chief, UNICEF Kano field office, Mr Rahama Rihood Mohammed Farah, raised the concern on Wednesday in his speech delivered at a zonal media dialogue on routine immunisation and the zero dose campaign said that “despite proven safety, efficacy, and availability of vaccines, Immunisation uptake has not always been optimal.”</p>, <p>Farah disclosed that “Myths, disinformation, misinformation, and rumours, have contributed a great deal to poor immunization uptake, exposing children to high risk and death that can be avoidable when they don’t get immunized.</p>, <p>“The National Immunization Coverage Survey results have shown that over the years, Nigeria has made progress in immunisation coverage, however, it is also clear that gaps exist. For instance, in the three states of the Northwest of Nigeria: Kano, Katsina and Jigawa there are over 600,000 children who have not been vaccinated against childhood killer diseases. This is closer to about 40% of the total unimmunized children in Nigeria.</p>, <p>“Over 300,000 of those children are in Kano State, representing 50 per cent of the three states under the UNICEF Kano office. This situation is unacceptable and should be reversed urgently.”</p>, <p>Farah maintained that “as the UN agency mandated for the protection and promotion of children’s rights, we are extremely concerned when children don’t get immunised, when children have no access to immunization services their basic fundamental right is not fulfilled.”</p>, <p>The chief field officer called on the Kano, Jigawa and Katsina states and other states with zero-dose LGAs, to take concerted action to strengthen their primary healthcare systems to increase strategic interventions to address the persistent gap in human resources and recruit additional skilled critical cadres of health workers, vac