By Tobias Lengnan Dapam
As the world commemorates World Immunization Week, members of the Child Rights Advocacy Club in Junior Secondary School Gwagwalada, called for availability and increased vaccination for children in the rural areas.
The children who gathered in their numbers to mark the week lamented poor vaccination in the rural areas.
The club which is the brain child of the Save the Children International (SCI), Nigeria, was meant to amplify the voices of children.
Speaking, a member of the club, Ogar Goodluck said the government has failed the children in terms of vaccination.
“Children are dying in their numbers in most rural areas because of poor access to vaccine. Most of the healthcare centers are not working and governments at all levels do not pay serious attention to the rural populace when it comes to vaccination.
“There is need for mobile hospitals in the rural and hard to reach areas. Government should speed up its activities to ensure that all children are carried along in its programmes.
“Here at the school, we are privileged to have access yo basic health care. We also speak about the importance of immunization to our parents and people in our community.”
Also speaking, another member of the club, Akabuakwu Chidiomimi said, “SCI has empowered us with a platform to speak about issues that concern us as children. We are happy to be members of this club and have benefited a lot from it.
“We have received various trainings and now understand our basic rights as children. In our society today, children need saving from various diseases. All we are asking is for those in authority to provide care for us and not to allow us die from diseases.”
On his part, the coordinator of the club, Ella Peter charged Nigerians to ensure immunization of their children against child killer disease.
He said SCI empowered them to advocate on various challenges faced by children.
“Before the establishment of this club, we didn’t know much about all these advocacies. But now we are happy to champion the campaign event in communities. I would like to encourage SCI to keep up with the good work that it is doing in the country.”
Also speaking, another member of the club, Marvelous Edeh, JSS 2E said, “We are also advocating for the less privileged. Government at all levels should build more health centers and create awareness of pneumonia on the social media.
On her part, the Principal of Junior Secondary School, Gwagwalada, Mrs Florence Okonkwo, said the advocacy club is very central and the school is benefiting Aloy from it.
“From time to time we call children from the club to talk to their peers on various issues. Also, whenever we go for debate, I encourage my children to speak about the activities of save the children because I know it is only my school that is benefiting around this area”.
“Also, there is need for continuous advocacy to sensitize parents on the importance of vaccination and how best to take care of their children. On our part, we speak to parents during PTA meetings and the awareness is going far. I am happy that there are changes around us because of what SCI is doing in our school.”
Meanwhile, SCI urged governments and stakeholders at all levels to accelerate actions toward reducing and ending death from vaccine preventable diseases.
SCI in a statement issued yesterday said available data revealed that global vaccination rates have dropped to levels not seen in a decade, with 3.5 million fewer children receiving vaccines in 2020 compared to 2019.
It said the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the disruption of immunization services, leaving millions of children at greater risk of missing out on critical vaccinations against diseases like measles, mumps, whooping cough, pneumonia, and poliomyelitis.
Save the Children believes that immunization saves millions of lives and it is recognized as one of the world’s most successful health interventions.
Shannon Ward, Interim Country Director, Save the Children International in Nigeria said, “Every child needs to be vaccinated against preventable diseases. These diseases can negatively impact quality of life and cause death. We welcome increased emphasis and training for health workers and community members on the many benefits of immunization.”
This year, World Immunization Week’s (i.e., 24th- 30th April 2022) theme of “Long Life for All” aims to highlight the collective action needed, and to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against vaccine preventable diseases.
This theme is apt as the world gradually recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. This brings us another opportunity to enhance the collaboration of various stakeholders and interest groups including community, religious, and traditional rulers and private sector companies to contribute to improving health for all towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3.
Amanuel Mamo, Director of Advocacy, Campaigns, Communication and Media, Save the Children International in Nigeria said, ‘’We urge the Government of Nigeria to support an increase in domestic investment in the health sector to meet with 15% target of the Abuja Declaration (2001) and ensure that health spending improves child health services, including by removing user fees, reducing non-financial barriers to accessing care, and prioritizing primary health services, among others. Focusing on zero-dose children is particularly important because those who are reached with the first vaccine are highly likely to also receive remaining dosages.”
“This week provides us an opportunity to increase public awareness about the importance of every person’s need and rights, including that of children, girls, women and people with disabilities, to be protected from vaccine-preventable diseases. We call for increased coordination, collaboration with and support of stakeholders and the government to be able to deliver high-quality, timely, free and accessible immunization programmes at all level.”
Save the Children International calls upon the federal and state governments to keep immunization high on their sustainable development agendas as vaccinated communities will be healthy, productive and resilient. Hence, Save the Children supports the need for accelerating vaccine coverage by supporting Gavi’s 2020 replenishment and ensuring investment drives for more equitable vaccination coverage, and to improve vaccine affordability, especially for children and other vulnerable groups.
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