- The campaign, scheduled to run from October 12 to 18, 2024, will be conducted in all designated health facilities
In a bid to protect its young population from the highly contagious measles disease, Anambra State has launched a massive vaccination campaign targeting over 1.1 million children.
Mrs. Uju Onwuegbuzina, State Health Educator at the Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency, revealed that 1,227,113 doses of the vaccine have been secured for the effort.
The campaign, scheduled to run from October 12 to 18, 2024, will be conducted in all designated health facilities, mobile posts, communities, churches, schools, markets, and areas where children gather.
“The measles campaign is crucial in reducing the burden of the disease,” Onwuegbuzina stated during a zonal meeting organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the National Orientation Agency in Enugu.
Dr. Hillary Ozoh, a social behavioral change specialist at UNICEF Field Office, Enugu, emphasized the vital role of media engagement in achieving the national goal of 95% coverage during the vaccination campaign. He encouraged journalists to report on the campaign from an informative standpoint, utilizing data-driven stories to educate and enlighten the public on the importance of measles vaccination.
This initiative comes as measles cases have surged globally, with nearly 40 million children susceptible to the disease due to declining vaccination rates during the COVID-19 pandemic.