NPHCDA embarks on public enlightenment

Dr Faisal Shuaib, the Executive Director, NPHCDA, made this known to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.He said that the campaign will hold in Zamfara, Kogi, Kwara and Borno states.Shuaib explained that the campaign was aimed at reducing yellow fever transmission in line with the strategy for the elimination of Yellow Fever Epidemics by 2026.

He said based on the 2008 risk assessment, which identified 20 states and FCT as high risk states, the first phase of the campaign was completed in 2014.He said the second phase of the preventive mass vaccination campaign would be conducted in Kwara, Kogi and Zamfara states from Jan. 25 to Feb. 3.According to him, the exercise will be conducted in 17 local government areas of Kogi, 13 in Kwara and 10 in Zamfara.He added that about one million doses of the vaccine would be utilised in Borno between Feb. 5 and Feb. 14, targeting the internally displaced persons and accessible areas of the state.Shuaib said that campaigns would be conducted at fixed posts in the affected states and the target groups are nine months to 45 years.“It is particularly important to note that the last time Nigeria had outbreak of Yellow fever it took the country almost 10 years to control the scourge,’’ he said.He explained that global shortage of yellow fever vaccine caused the delay on the prevention of the campaign, adding that the next campaign will be in the last quarter of 2018.“NPHCDA is working with partners to ensure that yellow fever outbreak was not prolonged.“The way to prevent the outbreak is to rapidly conduct reactionary vaccination around the areas where they cases are found,’’ he said.The executive director therefore urged Nigerians to make themselves available for the vaccination, stressing that the vaccines prevent people from yellow fever disease.Dr Dorathy Nwodu, Director, Disease Control and Immunisation, NPHCDA, said the agency is targeting 9,000 people during the exercise.“Yellow fever vaccine is free, effective and potent; we are giving the vaccines to the states free of charge,’’ she said.She said the vaccines were already in the states and social mobilisation activities had already commenced.She added that the exercise was supported by GAVI Alliance for Vaccines, an international donor agency, UNICEF, WHO and AFENET Nigeria, among others.Nwodu said NPHCDA started the exercise in October 2017 when the outbreak of yellow fever was recorded in Kwara and Kogi states.She added that there are still cases in Niger, Kebbi and Nasarawa states; stressing NPHCDA is planning to have reactive campaign in these states that were not included in the preventive campaigns.Dr Fiona Braka, Immunisation Team Lead, WHO, said Global Strategic Plan 2017-2026 for the Elimination of Yellow Fever Epidemic has prioritised high risk countries to support strategies for the elimination of yellow fever by 2026.She said Nigeria was among the prioritised countries.She added the surveillance component which is critical must be strengthened to enable stakeholders rapidly detect, investigate and respond to any suspect or confirmed case of yellow fever.The comprehensive approach of routine vaccination campaign and surveillance contribute to the elimination of yellow fever by 2026.