C’River Flags Off Campaign Against Meningitis, Targets 693,000 Infants
By Ani Bassey
The Cross River State government has flagged off it’s campaign against Meningitis with plans to vaccinate 693,000 children.
The state deputy governor, Professor Ivara Esu who flagged off the exercise through the State’s Health Commissioner Dr. Betta Edu said the government will afford the campaign the priority it deserves.
He said the state particularly the northern part forms the Meningitis belt in Nigeria and all stakeholders should partner with government to forestall an outbreak as government hopes to achieve a 100% success.
“We want to protect our children from all the vaccine preventable diseases and the target is to vaccinate 693,000 children across the state.
“The health centres have been equipped and given the right quantity of vaccines, logistics and funding and we hope to record 100% success in this excercise.
“Cross River State forms part of the meningitis belt in Nigeria especially the northern part of the state so if you see something, it is important that you quickly say something so that we can avoid an outbreak in the state”, he said.
He added that the government is acting fast so as to check an outbreak of the disease in the state and massive awareness has been created about the excercise.
Also speaking, Dr. Janet Ekpenyong the Director General of the Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency called on mother’s to bring their children to the respective PHC’s for vaccination.
She said this campaign is about injectibles and will be carried out in the PHCs as against house to house vaccination.
She said massive awareness is ongoing and the government hopes to surpass the 693,000 target during the campaign.
In his contribution, a representative of UNICEF Eke Tobechi said 850,000 doses has been procured for the exercise and no child in the state will be left behind.
Dr. Halima Tafida, a representative from the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency called for support for the health workers to ensure that every child between 1-5 years is protected.
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