UNICEF engages Borno youths to vaccinate zero-dose children

The United Nations Children’s Fund has disclosed plans to immunise zero-dose children in Borno State, using youths to campaign against resistance.

The acting UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office, Joseph Senesie, speaking during the launching of the initiative with the theme “ Adopt-A-PHC Naija challenge” on Tuesday, said the essence of the programme was to reduce the number of zero-dose children across the state.

According to him, 30 youths from the community vanguard would work with health workers in the Maiduguri metropolis and Jere councils to drive the campaigns at 10 primary healthcare facilities.

He said the initiative targeted behavioural changes and mobilised caregivers to vaccinate their wards against childhood diseases and reduce vaccine-preventable deaths among children.

He said “Today we adopted the innovative approach, where UNICEF is working with youths in Borno state to ensure children are vaccinated.

“As you all know, vaccination is critical to prevent disease, and we are talking about children that have never received vaccination, zero dose.”

He noted that many children in the state were not vaccinated as a result of many reasons, including beliefs, insecurity, and accessibilities.

These children are not vaccinated as a result of various reasons, including beliefs, insecurity, and hard-to-reach location.

Even getting health workers to those locations is difficult. Therefore, UNICEF in partnership with the state primary care agencies and donors are ensuring we work with these youths to ensure vaccination gets to every child,” he stated.

Highlighting UNICEF’s role, he said “UNICEF is providing technical capacity and necessary financial support through donors, in particular, the Canadian International.

“So, UNICEF is in the background, doing all the support that is needed to ensure these youths who are so vibrant in the community can reach out to their communities to ensure vaccination rates are improved,” he said.

The Adopt-A-PHC Naija Challenge Project Coordinator, Abdulkadir Ahmed, highlighted the need to counter misinformation and disinformation about vaccines in communities across Maiduguri Metropolitan and Jere councils in the state.

“This challenge is geared toward educating and campaigning to increase vaccination in the community but then, there is resistance because of disinformation and misinformation as well as the fear of the safety of vaccines.

“So, the youth will be using our digital approach to correct these abnormalities in our communities,” he said.

Hassan Abubakar and Hajiya Yagana Shettim, Directors of Primary Health Care, Maiduguri and Jere councils respectively, commended UNICEF for the unwavering commitment to children’s health and safety.