Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) on Tuesday, embarked on a two-day training for COVID-19 vaccine data managers from nine states in the north.
Reports have it that the training, which is the first batch, is being held in Gombe State with 18 participants drawn from nine states’ Primary Health Care Development Agencies.
The states include Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Yobe, Taraba, Jigawa, Kano and Kaduna.
Mr Hamza Ibrahim, CITAD’s Coordinator for Public Education on COVID-19 Vaccine Project, said the training was to build the capability of the participants.
Ibrahim stated that at the end of the training it was expected that data generated from COVID-19 vaccination would be of high quality, integrity and free of discrepancies.
He stated that there were some discrepancies in COVID-19 data processing and management and this “training is to help bridge the gaps to ensure that data generated in this regard is qualitative and reliable.”
According to him, the training will benefit Nigeria as it will lead to error-free COVID-19 data generation that can be used by individuals, governments and all stakeholders to form the basis for health policies.
One of the facilitators, Mr Mustapha Alinkilo, said Nigeria had been innovative in the introduction of electronic management of immunisation data platforms where all persons who received COVID-19 vaccination could have their registration and data online.
Alinkilo said, “unfortunately it is a new innovation, there are some discrepancies between the manual and the electronic reporting.”
He, however, said the aim of the training was to engage the critical stakeholders from the zone to examine the health challenges behind the discrepancies in data and also to find solution to the problems.
“We will build the capacity of the health officials on electronic management of immunisation database and ensure that they get more knowledge on modern data management and reportage,” he said.
Alinkilo appealed to Nigerians to go to health facilities in around them to get vaccinated for COVID-19, adding that it was important for citizens to get complete vaccination.
“It is important for Nigeria to attain herd immunity, that is, when more than 80 per cent of the population has antibodies against viruses like COVID-19; so let’s get vaccinated,” Alinkilo added.
One of the participants, Mrs Fadimatu Abdullahi, a data manager at Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency, said the training had imparted her with the latest techniques in data management.
Abdullahi said the training would enhance participants’ knowledge on data generation, utilisation and reporting with regard to COVID-19 vaccination to help them make evidence-based decisions.
Our correspondent also reports that the training is sponsored by MacArthur Foundation.