By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has identified the growing involvement of community leaders, husbands and household heads as critical to improving routine immunisation uptake and preventing disease outbreaks in Kaduna State.

The agency’s Director of Disease Control and Immunisation, Dr Garba Ahmed Rufai, said community leadership and male participation were helping to strengthen mobilisation efforts, particularly in communities where children remained vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases.

Rufai spoke during a high-level Immunisation delegation visit to Bakallahu community in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna Stateon Monday, involving representatives of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF and other development partners.

He said the community had recently experienced a disease outbreak that reportedly claimed five children’s lives, an experience he noted had increased residents’ awareness of the importance of immunisation.

According to him, the community leader had taken a proactive role by working with ward heads and engaging men, husbands and household heads to ensure that children received their scheduled vaccinations.

He described the involvement of men as a major milestone, noting that their participation was particularly important in communities where their role in immunisation mobilisation had not received sufficient attention.

Rufai also commended community leaders, community-based organisations and civil society groups for supporting efforts to improve vaccination coverage.

He expressed hope that sustained community engagement would help eliminate disease outbreaks and ensure that every child receives the required vaccines.

The visit was part of the delegation’s engagement with Kaduna State to assess immunisation performance, identify service delivery gaps and strengthen primary healthcare systems.

The delegation also visited the Primary Healthcare Centre, Sabon Tasha, in Chikun Local Government Area, where it assessed routine immunisation, nutrition, adolescent health and family planning services.