.. as UNICEF holds Stakeholders Meeting for 3rd Round Big Catch-up Routine Immunization
By Uzo Ugwunze
The Supervisory Councilor for Health in Idemili North Local Government Area (INLGA), Dr Nkem Okeke has encouraged Ward Development Chairmen WDC, Ward focal persons , Women Leaders and other health liaison officers to collaborate with the Traditional Rulers and Town Union leadership in their various communities to ensure proper sensitization and mobilization that would ensure that any child who missed any form of immunization within Idemili North was identified and immunized.
Speaking at the MNCH Health Center Ogidi, INLGA during the Stakeholders Meeting for the 3rd Round Big Catch-up Routine Immunization program sponsored by United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with Anambra State Government, Dr Nkem Okeke urged the Stakeholders not to be offended by the rigors of the work but to do the best they can referring to the President General of their community whenever they face challenges or resistance in the course of mobilizing care givers to avail their children for complete immunization.
According to Dr Nkem Okeke, mobilize as many people as possible to avail themselves of the opportunity to be part of the Third Round Big Catch-up. Our Hardworking Mayor, Hon Stanley Nkwoka (Ochendo Idemili)is doing his best to assist everywhere possible to provide healthcare for the residents of INLGA and he would not like to hear that his LGA falls among those lagging behind percentage wise, where you can find children who are not immunized or did not complete their routine immunization,”.
He further assured the WDCs that the INLGA Health Educator/Social Mobilization Officer has been mobilized to produce official Identity cards that would aid them as they see to proper implementation of health programs at the grassroots or ward levels.
Earlier, declaring the Stakeholders Meeting open, Director Idemili North Health Authority, Mrs. Chinwe Okeke reminded the Stakeholders on their salient roles as health focal persons in their communities .
“You are here because you are very important program. With you in the planning, we want to Succeed.
“Remember that Idemili North is among the 9 LGAs which did not do well in their immunization hence the need for Big Catch-up Routine Immunization.
“We want to capture those who did not complete immunization or stopped halfway or did not take immunization at all from 0 to 5 years.
“We must commend UNICEF, WHO and Anambra State Government for successfully eradicating Poliomyelitis in Anambra State. I also thank the SMO/Health Educator, WDCs for the sanity, consistency and faithfulness in seeing that our programs and targets are actualized in Idemili North LGA,” said Mrs Okeke.
Contributing, the SMO/Health Educator, INLGA, Mrs OkpalaNwankwo Chinememma Ukamaka said that the 3rd phase of the Big Catch Up Routine Immunization will cover Penta 3 doses, including other normal routine immunization vaccines.
“Our health team which will go from House to house will use the three strategies of Identification, Enumeration and Vaccination. Idemili North has the highest team members for the Big Catch-up.
“In the whole Nigeria only 9 states and 9 LGAs in Anambra State have the privilege to revisit the Big Catch-up Routine immunization because of lapses or nonchalant attitude of people who missed routine immunization.
“We are working together inter collaborating to achieve a common goal. Please help us to create awareness to the uttermost parts of the LGA that caregivers bring out their children within the 0 to 5 years for immunization or take them to the nearest health centers for immunization. So that after this 3rd round of Big Catch-up Routine Immunization there will be zero persons left, not immunized.
“The Third Round commences on April 22 ,2025 which is Easter Tuesday and it will last for 6 days after which there will be two days extra for mop up,” Mrs OkpalaNwankwo said
The Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer(DSNO) INLGA ,Comrade Agbo Ifeanyi encouraged the WDC and community focal person to firstly go back and introduce themselves to their Presidents General with the circulars about the upcoming third Round Big Catch-up Routine Immunization so that before anybody reports or resists their work or that of the immunization team the PG would know how to respond to the case.
In his remarks, Chief Muonago Onyedika(Osojezechukwu) WDC Obosi 1 pleaded for Identity Card to be issued to the WDC to make the work they were doing easier saying that Idemili North LGA location in the state attracts a lot of settlers and non indigenes who may had packed into the LGA maybe after immunization programs.
The State facilitator SBC Strategic Behavior Communication UNICEF, Dr Uju Eze after thanking the Stakeholders for their efforts encouraged the Stakeholders to endeavor to achieve more success in the 3rd round Big Catch-up.
Concerning the faith based institutions which sometimes resist immunization, Eze said that UNICEF assistants have been discussing with the Bishops and Religious organizations on the need to allow their members to take any kind of immunization irrespective of the unfounded rumors replete in the internet.
She further encouraged the Stakeholders not to relent in educating the people in their Communities on the consequences of not being immunized.
“This Big Catch-up Routine Immunization is still for children who were part of the first and second round of the Big Catch-up Routine Immunization to make up the Penta 3 dose taken at 6 weeks”.
Chairman of all WDC Chairmen INLGA, Chief Donatus Orjiakor-Aniegboka assured both UNICEF and INLGA team that the Stakeholders would do their best to sensitize, mobilize and supervise the implementation of the Third Round Big Catch-up Routine Immunization in Idemili North.
Highlights of the Third Round Big Catch-up Routine Immunization Stakeholders Meeting include the giving out of stipends by the INLGA SMO to augment the feeding and transportation of the participants to the the venue.