BREAKTHROUGH ACTION NIGERIA IDENTIFIES SPOUSAL COMMUNICATION AS SOLUTION TO IMPROVING VACCINE COMPLETION RATES AMONG CHILDREN IN BAUCHI STATE.
BY UZAIRU DAUDA BUNGA:
Communication between Spouses has been identified as key solution towards improving vaccine completion rates among children in Bauchi State.
This approach is seen as a way of reducing vaccine hesitancy, which has contributed to the state being among those with the highest number of unvaccinated children (zero dose) in Nigeria ,as, 13 out of the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Bauchi state are reported to have significant zero-dose communities.
This information was disclosed by Hajiya Hadiza Jibril Ahmed, the State Advocacy and Capacity Strengthening Officer II of Breakthrough Action Nigeria, during a media engagement aimed at building vaccine champions among journalists in Azare, Katagum Local Goverment Area.
Hajiya Hadiza presented findings from a community listening exercise conducted in four LGAs—Alkaleri, Ganjuwa, Dambam, and Katagum—which were selected based on their senatorial districts and high zero-dose rates, including part of the 13 LGAs in Bauchi State that are facing the most significant challenges with childhood immunization.
According to Hajiya Hadiza, several key barriers contribute to the zero-dose issue, including the cost of transportation for households, lack of awareness, lack of spousal permission, vaccine misinformation, and concerns about adverse events following immunization (especially with the PENTA vaccine).
She also highlighted data from the District Health Information system, which shows that about 40% of children in these identified LGAs have not received any form of immunization.
Hajiya Hadiza emphasized the crucial role traditional and religious leaders play in addressing rumors and misconceptions about routine immunization, thereby strengthening community health systems, and called on health workers to educate pregnant women about the importance of vaccines during antenatal visits and after delivery, particularly providing accurate information on the PENTA vaccine, which contains five different antigens.
she also urged journalists to be proactive in sensitizing the public on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, with a view to protecting children from preventable diseases.
