By Aminu Dalhatu
The Zamfara State Government says it has received vaccines for the prevention of diphtheria, with a vaccination exercise scheduled to commence in the state on Thursday.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nafisa Maradun, disclosed this during a one-day State-Level Traditional Leadership Engagement Meeting on the Zamfara Tracking and Accountability for Equitable Immunisation, Z-TRACE Project, held in Gusau.
Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development in collaboration with Zamfara State Primary Healthcare Development Agency Organised the One Day – State Level Traditional Leadership Engagement Meeting on the Zamfara Tracking and Accountability for Equitable Immunisation, Z-TRACE.
Dr Maradun represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Rilwan Musa Zurmi, said eleven Local Government Areas of the state currently had reported cases of diphtheria.
She explained that, an analysis conducted by the Ministry of Health showed that, most of the children who contracted the disease had either not received vaccination or were not fully immunised.
Dr. Nafisa Maradun described vaccination as essential to protecting children against preventable diseases and called on traditional rulers to intensify community sensitisation on the importance of immunisation.
The Commissioner said the Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development under the Z-TRACE was targeting to reach zero-dose and under immunised children across communities in seven local government areas of Zamfara State.
She explained that, the project was designed to ensure that children who had never received any vaccine, as well as those who had not completed their routine immunisation, were identified, reached and vaccinated.
Dr. Nafisa Maradun urged traditional leaders to mobilise parents and communities to make their children available for vaccination, particularly as the state prepares to commence the diphtheria vaccination exercise.
Speaking during the meeting, the Head of Programme Officer of the Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development in Zamfara State, Jamilu Sarkin Gulbi, said Zamfara still had many zero-dose and under-immunised children, particularly in hard-to-reach communities.
He said the Z-TRACE Project was a community-driven accountability initiative aimed at tracking children, strengthening accountability from households to health facilities and ensuring equitable access to immunisation.
According to him, the project would rely on three key pillars: leadership and policy under the Ministry of Health and the State Primary Health Care Board, traditional institutions and community structures, as well as LGA teams and Community-Based Organisations.
Sarkin Gulbi said the involvement of traditional rulers was critical because they have respect of their communities and can effectively mobilise parents to ensure that their children receive routine vaccinations.
He appealed to the Emirs, District Heads, Ward Development Committees, Community-Based Organisations and other stakeholders to support the implementation of the project across the seven participating Local Government Areas.
He also urged the media to intensify public awareness on the importance of vaccination and help take the message to households across the state.
In his remarks, the Emir of Moriki, Alhaji Bashir Samaila, urged participants to support the Sultan Foundation and other stakeholders in their efforts to reduce and eventually eliminate zero-dose and under-immunised children in Zamfara State.
The meeting brought together traditional rulers,officials of the State Primary Health Care Board, Ward Development Committees, health partners and Community-Based Organisations among others.
Editing By Yusuf Zubairu
