Group seeks govt’s collaboration against maternal, infant mortality

Going by poor awareness and understanding of people, especially rural dwellers on the significance of immunisation to healthy living of both mother and child, the Ogun State Chapter of Civil Society, Malaria Control Immunisation and Nutrition (ACOMIN) has urged government to employ the services of Civil Society Groups in the fight against infant and maternal mortality.

According to ACOMIN, the war against infant and  maternal mortality as it relates to complications and diseases that contribute to high mortality rate and routine programmes mapped out to control such a condition, can only be effective and achievable if government included relevant Non-Governmental Organisations  (NGOs) in the fight.

Speaking on the challenges in the coverage of immunisation in Abeokuta recently, Olusola George, Ogun state programme officer (ACOMIN) said “it is important for government at all levels, particularly the Ogun state government to partner with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) , in ensuring that people are adequately informed on immunisation and how to assess it.”

George declared:”there is need for government to synergise with Civil Society Organisations in reaching out to the rural communities and to ensure adequate mobilisation and proper enlightenment on immunisation as it affects infants and both pregnant and nursing mothers”, adding that the challenges are controllable if there are proper and effective synergies.

He explained that the challenges mostly faced by State governments include low information on immunisation and insufficient fund as well as inability to move vaccines from State capital to health facilities in the local areas, noting that if there were collaborations with NGOs, the challenges would be jointly tackled and defeated.

While advising government on steps to be taken on immunisation, the Programme officer, stated that the State should ensure, through Donor Agencies that “there is adequate power supply to ensure that operational refrigerators are working 24/7 so that the vaccines could be properly kept and used at the appropriate time.

George however, requested government to always endeavour to involve NGOs in policy making and budgeting on immunisation and other health issues affecting mother and child, urging government to as a matter of policy, provide for immunisation in its fiscal estimates every year, just as he admonished Civil Groups to work appropriately and play their roles with integrity in order widen immunisation coverage.

RAZAQ AYINLA