From El-Yakub Dabai, Birnin Kebbi.
As dismal performance in the areas of immunization continues to paint bleak pictures in healthcare delivery in Sokoto Kebbi and Zamfara States, women in the areas have come out to support the fight against the problem.
Speaking to participating journalists at a media duologue organized by UNICEF in Sokoto, the women stressed that the period of noncompliance to routine and supplemental immunization was over because of the benefits found in the exercise.
One Halima Musa at a Health Facility in Gagi area of Sokoto said immunization had been strengthening the immunity of their children stressing that in the event when attacked by a medical condition the children would come through it with ease
Another care giver said they were able to understand that immunization was a defence mechanism against several life threatening diseases such as measles, malnutrition, diphtheria, cancer, tuberculosis and hepatitis.
The women were also able to convince their husbands to allow them attend antenatal care and give birth at a health facility in order to have the opportunity of receiving all the expected doses of vaccination meant for them and their babies for better lifespans.
About 21 Local Government Areas had poor records of Immunization, with 13 from Sokoto State involving 122,015 unimmunised children and Zamfara State was identified having 47,085 in 6 LGAs while Kebbi State had 13,352 children with zero dose of immunization in 3 LGAs.
