Anambra State Government has announced new date for the integrated measles campaign across the twenty-one local government areas so as to reach the people affected and displaced by the recent flood disaster in the state.
The measles campaign which had been scheduled to start today Tuesday October 25, 2022 and end on Wednesday November 2, 2022 has now been rescheduled to hold in two phases.
According to the new schedule, the first phase will hold from November 1 to 9, 2022 in Aguata, Anaocha, Awka South, Ihiala, Njikoka, Nnewi North and South, Onitsha North and South, Orumba North and South, Oyi and Wards one to six in Okpoko, Ogbaru Local Government Area.
The second phase, on the other hand, will hold from November 15 to 23 in the four remaining local government areas of Anambra East and West, Awka North and Ayamelum and the remaining wards in Ogbaru Local Government Area that were hugely impacted by the floods.
Speaking at the Primary Healthcare Centre, Uke, Idemili North Local Government Area during the flag-off of the campaign, Governor Chukwuma Soludo said the mandate of his government is to ensure that no onye Anambra dies from any preventable disease as such the redesign of the measles campaign schedule is to ensure that everyone that should be vaccinated against the disease is reached in the state.
Governor Soludo who was represented at the event by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike said the target of the state government is to hit 95% coverage in the measles vaccination as health officials will be in all the internally displaced persons camps to provide immunization services against measles, other routine Immunization services to qualified children and COVID-19 vaccination for adults.
Providing more explanation into the integrated measles campaign, the Executive Secretary, Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Chioma Ezenyimulu said measles is an extremely contagious disease that has the potency to infect nine out of ten unvaccinated people who are exposed to the virus and has a high mortality rate among children who are less than five years.
She explained further that the measles campaign will be admininstered to children between nine to fifty-nine months or five years while other routine immunizations such as BCG and yellow fever will be administered to children from zero to twenty-three months, while other primary health care services including birth registration have been included during the exercise.
Dr Ezenyimulu maintained that it is the right of every child to be immunized and asked parents, care givers and guardians to present their children and wards for the exercise.
Earlier in a welcome address, the Transition Committee Chairman, Idemili North Local Government Area, Chief Chuks Igboanua praised Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s progressives and proactive policies in the health care sector and assured of the support of the local government in cascading the visions of the present state government to the grassroots.
The integrated measles campaign flag-off was attended by representatives of partnering agencies including National Primary Healthcare Development Agency Agency, NPHCDA, UNICEF, World Health Organization, WHO, Red Cross Society, USAID, United States Centre for Disease Control, the traditional ruler of Uke, Igwe Charles Agbala, and his Abacha counterpart, Igwe Godwin Odiegwu.
