The Federal Government has said a total of $45, 506,787 million is being earmarked for measles immunization campaigns with a target population of 39,039,651 children across Nigeria. Speaking to journalists recently on a one-day media orientation workshop on 2015 Measles Follow Up Campaign for Health Programme Producers and Editors,, the Director, Disease Control and Immunisation, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Damaris Onwuka, said the Global Alliance for Vaccine International (GAVI ) is providing $25 million of it, while state governments are providing some. She said the federal government has planned for measles campaign in two phases across the country, with phase one starting from November 21st-25th while phase 2 starts from January 28th to February 1st 2016.She said, “a total of 52, 323 posts will be established in the country. The posts will be permanent and fixed. Under temporary, we will have them in Churches, Mosques etc. Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Director, Advocacy and Communications, NPHCDA, Dr Adamu Nuhu said Nigeria is a signatory to the global agreement that by 2020, it will achieve and maintain 95 per cent immunization coverage and less than one case in a million population at national level. Meanwhile, the Director, Immunisation and Disease Control, Dr Damaris Onwuka has said that 90.8 per cent of the 7,538 laboratory confirmed cases of measles were from the three northern states of Katsina, Kano and Jigawa while Edo, Delta and Cross River have the highest cases in the south.
She also noted that the oncoming measles campaign is an improved case management, including Vitamin A Supplementation. “The efficacy of measles vaccine is 85 per cent, that is why every 2-3 years, we do measles campaign to capture those that were not earlier captured, “she added.
Source:Leadership Online
