4 Million Nigerian Children Not Vaccinated, says UNICEF
By Alex Uangbaoje, Kano
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has disclosed that about 4 million children in Nigeria are unvaccinated and under vaccinated.
The figure according to Dr. Ibrahim Ali-Mohammed, Immunisation Officer, UNICEF Katsina Field Office, is part of the 20 million unvaccinated and under vaccinated children across the globe.
The UNICEF official was in Kano to attend the World Immunisation Week which hold every last week of April thus between April 25 and April 30.
He said out of the 4 million under vaccinated and unvaccinated children in Nigeria, Kano State contributed 350, 000 children which is the highest in other states of the federation.
He said the decision to commemorate the Week in Kano was part of effort to ensure vaccines were available in the right quantity with the right potency and at the right time to ensure that all eligible children of Kano state are immunised.
According to him, UNICEF would continue to collaborate with the Kano State Government and other relevant stakeholders to ensure availability of the vaccines in the right quantity with the right potency at the right time to ensure that eligible children of the state are immunised.
In addition he said the Fund would continue provide support in promoting vaccination across the 44 Local Government Areas of the state so as to achieve the desired objective.
According to the UNICEF official, the World Immunisation Week was aimed at promoting awareness on vaccines and vaccination in protection against diseases.
“Vaccines are one of the most successful and cost effective health interventions, hence the decision to emphasize the need for collaboratve effort toward promoting awareness,” he said.
He said various stakeholders including 80 mothers with their eligible children attended the event.
In a remark, UNICEF Communication officer, Rabi’u Musa stressed the importance of the media in Information dissemination.
He therefore, solicits for the support and cooperation of the media in the campaign against child killer diseases in the country.
