The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) is set to reach 1.27 million children between the ages of zero to 59 months, as it flags off a one week integrated National Immunization Plus Days (NIPD).
It has also started an Optimised Maternal Newborn Child Health week (MNCHW) and Active Case Search (ACS) for cases of diphtheria and other diseases of public health concern in the FCT.
Lafiya360 reports that the Acting Executive Secretary of the FCT Primary Healthcare Board, Dr Yakubu Mohammed, who disclosed this during an event in Abuja, explained that said that immunization is critically important to the survival of children because of the increasing cases of the Circulating Poliovirus Type 2, which if not addressed could become an outbreak and reverse the gains of being polio free since August 2020.
He further stated that outreaches will be stationed at over 250 Primary Healthcare facilities, 14 secondary health facilities under the FCT administration, additional 14 secondary health care facilities owned by other ministries and agencies and the three tertiary health care facilities in the FCT. Also health teams will be positioned at these facilities to provide services.
Dr. Mohammed explained that apart from administering the oral polio vaccine, the administration would provide the complete routine immunization package that will be made available alongside the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for girls between the ages of 9 and 15 years.
He noted that under the MNCHW, the FCTA would provide packaged interventions, including Vitamin A for children from nine to 59 months, worm tablets to cure them of all forms of worms, ranging from round hook and tapeworms, providing ORS for control of diarrhea.
He added that there will be essential medicines for treatment of locally endemic diseases and common illnesses, distribution of while pregnant women will be given iron tablets and folic acid.
He also stated that 1.4 million women of child bearing age from 15 to 45 years would be reached with various services, out of which 318,604 are projected to be pregnant.
He said: “We are not only administering only the oral polio vaccine but also HPV to protect our eligible girls against cervical cancer, we are deworming the children and providing Vitamin A supplementation. The Vitamin A Supplementation is one of the high impact cost effective intervention that protects the children from blindness.”