The Cross River State Government has flagged off a six-day ‘Big Catch Up’ routine immunisation intensification exercise in the state.
Flagging off the programme at Big Qua health centre in Calabar Municipality, the director general of the state Health Care Development Agency, Dr Vivian Mesembe, said the exercise is to be carried out in areas where data and statistics show that immunisation is low.
She said the exercise which is expected to last for six days will be carried out in health facilities, churches, markets, mosques among other places in the affected districts.
The director general said the exercise, at the instance of the National Health Care Development Agency with support from development partners, presents another opportunity for residents to get immunised.
“Beyond this, we are working against the outbreak of any disease that may bring with it complications such as malnutrition, diarrhoea, pneumonia among others,” she said.
“The aim of this exercise is to ensure that every child in the districts of the three local government areas are immunized.”
The director general used the opportunity to reach out to all mothers and caregivers in the affected districts to take advantage of the exercise.
She noted that the state currently has a shortage of manpower in the health sector and does not want more workload as it continues to combat every disease and prevent the outbreak of new ones.
Parents who turned out for the exercise thanked the Federal and state governments and the development partners in the health sector for bringing quality healthcare to their door steps, a gesture they said will not only prevent the outbreak of childhood killer diseases but also ensure the well-being of citizens
The event featured goodwill messages from the National Health Care Development Agency and the representatives of the state development partners in the health sector including UNICEF, World Health Organisation WHO, AFINET, Breakthrough Action and SYDANI Foundation.
Solomon Azu, The Guardian
