Niger to vaccinate 2m children against malaria, pneumonia

Yahaya Nauzo, the Executive Director of the agency, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Thursday that the state presently has an estimated population of 5,706,245, based on the 2006 national census.

Nauzo said that the agency had planned to vaccinate more than the census projection.

He said that the children would be vaccinated against diseases such as malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea, which he identified as major killer diseases of children under five years.

He said that children under the age of five years, according to the census figure, were 1,141,249, while those under one year were 228,250.

According to him, Nigeria is among countries with the highest maternal mortality rate and worst with infant mortality rate, where children born died before they reach one and five years, respectively.

“The NSPHCDA is trying to improve the immunisation rate, improve services to pregnant women, improve services to children in their first year of life of infancy,” he said.

Nauzo also identified poverty, lack of adequate education and cultural beliefs as major causes for high maternal mortality and infant mortality rates in the country.

He said that the agency have a legal backing and would use it to force parents to comply during the vaccination exercise.

He warned that parents who prevent the agency from vaccinating their wards would be punished.

He said that the National Health Act passed into law was meant to provide primary healthcare services, as most hospitals were not reaching majority of Nigerians living in rural areas.

He said that most hospitals were located in the urban areas and only few people have access to them.

Nauzo, however, called for the support of traditional rulers, religious leaders and other stakeholders to mobilise the people with their domain to embrace the exercise to ensure effective service delivery