Over 109,000 Children Immunized Through Fathers for Good Health Initiative in Bauchi State

By Uzairu Dauda Bunga:

More than 109,444 children have been vaccinated with various life-saving vaccines through the Fathers for Good Health initiative across seven local government areas in Bauchi State, out of the thirteen designated zero-dose LGAs.

This was revealed by Mr. George Ekeh, UNICEF Bauchi Field Office Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) Specialist, during a recent field visit to Misau to assess the impact of the initiative.

Mr. Ekeh explained that Fathers for Good Health was introduced by UNICEF in collaboration with the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency. The initiative emerged from a rapid assessment using a human-centered approach in Misau and Ningi LGAs, which identified that fathers often play a major role in preventing their children from being vaccinated.

Mr George said, the assessment looked into the number of households, children who had never been vaccinated, and children under one year who had not completed their routine immunization schedule.

He disclosed that there are currently 1,130 registered Fathers for Good Health volunteers working across the seven LGAs to promote the health and wellbeing of women and children in their communities.

Mr. Ekeh added that the Canadian Government provides funding to bridge communication gaps and encourage male involvement in improving maternal and child health. He also noted that the initiative will soon be expanded to Gombe and Adamawa States.

Describing Fathers for Good Health as a voluntary community group, he emphasized that the members are committed to eliminating vaccine hesitancy and ensuring that no child is left unprotected against preventable diseases.

He commended the Governor of Bauchi State for his commitment to scaling up the initiative across all 20 LGAs and urged the State Primary Health Care Board to work towards achieving this goal.

Mr. Ekeh also called on the government to provide reliable means of transportation for the volunteers so they can effectively reach hard-to-access communities, ensuring better health outcomes for women and children.