The Adamawa State Government has declared its readiness to launch the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine campaign, scheduled to commence on 18th October 2024. Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has already approved and released the state’s counterpart funds to ensure the smooth execution of the exercise.
This was disclosed by the Deputy Governor and Chairperson, State Task Force on Primary Health Care (STFPHC), Professor Kaletapwa G. Farauta, while declaring open the Quarter 2 STFPHC meeting held in Yola.
The Deputy Governor, represented by the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Felix Tangwami, commended the sustained collaboration of development partners, traditional and religious leaders, as well as parents and caregivers during the last Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week and National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs).
She appealed for similar community-wide support for the forthcoming MR campaign, which will target children aged 9 months to 14 years across all LGAs of the state.
Professor Farauta also applauded the roles played by Local Government Chairmen, the State Ministry of Health and Human Services, the Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ADSPHCDA), health workers, vaccination teams, and facilities during past interventions, urging them to redouble efforts to ensure no child is left behind in the October campaign.
In his welcome address, the Executive Chairman, ADSPHCDA, Dr. Sulaiman Saidu Bashir, who also serves as Secretary of the STFPHC, affirmed the state’s readiness for the campaign.
He disclosed that training for health workers will commence this week at the national, state, LGA, and ward levels.
He further noted that AEFI kits have been procured, extra vaccination teams engaged, and supervisory structures put in place.
Dr. Bashir expressed gratitude for the consistent support of Governor Fintiri’s administration towards strengthening primary health care and pledged the Agency’s commitment to delivering a successful exercise.
The meeting was attended by Local Government Council Chairmen, representatives of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Muslim Council, WHO, UNICEF, Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria (APHPN), Chigari Foundation, and the Nigeria Traditional Leaders Committee on Health (NTLC).
