2014 AFRICAN VACCINATION WEEK
Today marks the beginning of the African vaccination week and will last till the 27th of April 2014 under the theme ‘vaccination – a shared responsibility’.
The campaign which seeks to encourage countries to strengthen the integration of immunization with other life saving interventions also appeals to people to complete their vaccination schedules.
Joy Uzor tells us more.
This year’s theme ‘vaccination – a shared responsibility highlights the role and importance of governments, health care workers, parents, families and communities—all doing their part to support immunization.
Executive secretary, FCT primary health care board Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed speaking on the importance of immunization says everybody has a role to play in fighting vaccine preventable diseases such as polio, whooping cough, measles, tetanus, influenza, diarrhoea, pneumonia, hepatitis and cervical cancers.
Dr Riwalnu noted that polio is one which Nigeria has hitherto battled with but expressed joy that this trend is drastically changing.
Children form part of the vocal concentration of government’s immunization programme.
It is free and begins at birth.
The turnout of mothers with their babies at government approved health centers for the routine vaccination process is increasing by the day.
One of the centers is the family health centre in Garki area2 Abuja.
immunization is a proven tool for controlling and eliminating most life threatening infections and diseases and it is estimated to avert between 2 and 3 million deaths each year.
