The United Nations Children Funds (UNICEF) says immunisation is an essential right of every Nigerian child in preventing life threatening diseases and infection.
Celine Lafoucriere, Chief UNICEF Field Officer, South-West, Nigeria, said this at a two-day media dialogue on routine immunisation on Wednesday in Lagos.
Lafoucriere said that 2.3 million children had yet to receive vaccines in Nigeria.
“We still have a very pressing challenge in Nigeria where 2.3 million children still have received no vaccines at all.
“These are called the zero doze children and are mostly in marginalised areas, hard to reach areas and vaccines remain essential to their health.
“Vaccine is an essential fundamental right to every child and they remain fundamental to improving health outcomes and reducing inequalities,” she said.
Lafoucriere, however, said that to address this challenge, UNICEF in partnership with government and other partners had prioritised areas with the highest concentration of zero dose children.
She said that the idea was to increase the rate of vaccinated children by 50 per cent each year and 30 per cent by 2025.
“To achieve this in Nigeria, UNICEF together with the government and other partners, we have prioritised 100 local government areas across 18 states with the highest concentration of those zero dose children that need us.
“They need us right now and we need you, the media, to join hands to accelerate the rate of immunisation in Nigeria to ensure that by each year we increase the rate of vaccinated children by 50 per cent.
“This cannot be done without you, please join hands with us today to ensure that we can leverage your influence,” Lafoucriere stated.
She also appealed to the media to assist UNICEF in the sensitisation of Nigerians on the importance of vaccines.
“Your own influence is very important. You can catalyse actions, help dispel rumours and misinformation about vaccines.
“By working collectively, we can build a resilience health system that is capable of reaching each and every child leaving no one behind.
“No matter where they live, we must ensure that no child in Nigeria suffers from preventable diseases,” Lafoucriere disclosed.
Also speaking, Dr Adeniyi Adebayo, Assistant Immunisation Programme Officer, Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board (LSPHCB), emphasised on the need for every child to be fully immunised.
Adebayo, who noted that vaccines formed the bedrock of economy development, said that zero dose children were those who were not immunised from birth.
He said that children in that category were prone to diseases and infections.
Adebayo also said that under-immunised children were the ones whose immunisation were not completed.
He said that all vaccines, immunisation in the country were free, urging parents to make best use of the opportunity to get their children immunised from birth.
Adebayo, however, identified infrastructural deficit as part of challenges confronting immunisation coverage in some parts of country.(NAN)
