By; MUSTAPHA SAYE
It is.a undeniable facts that about 2.2 million eligible children have never received a single dose of antigens of routine immunization and many pregnant mothers have not visited health facilities for antenatal and this has posed serious danger to their lives.
Farar Kasa and neighboring settlements in Kwassallo Ward of Soba LGA of Kaduna State are among the places that encountered such issues and it was for this reason, UNICEF as one of the strongest development partners took it upon itself through zero dose activity to resolve this menace and ensure no single child is left out unvaccinated.
The zero dose out reach in Farar Kasa in Kwassallo Ward of Soba Local Government was a colourful occasion as many pregnant mothers and unimmunized children took the advantage of the event to be immunized as the programme covered nutrition, routine immunization, people suffered tuberculosis disease and all other ailments benefited.
Malam Habibu Suleman, the village head of Kwassallo applauded UNICEF for the kind gesture of choosing Fara Kasa, noting that Farar Kasa is one of the hard to reach and many caregivers and pregnant mothers lack access to visiting health facilities, especially during raining season and this has caused loss of lives, particularly women. With this development, it is a step forward as he will continue to encourage his subjects to visit health facilities against all odds.
“I want to categorically thank UNICEF for breaking this barrier for initiating such a laudable programme and we will not relent towards following up,” he said.
Also speaking during the event, Chairman of Soba Local Government Area, Abdulmumini Bawa who was represented by the council secretary, Barrister Hamisu Hamza, appreciated UNICEF for choosing Soba as one of the local government areas that benefited from zero dose, saying that it will go a long way in reducing the menace of unimmunized children and lack of attending antenatal care by expectant mothers.
“We have noted the significant contribution of UNICEF in areas of health education, water and sanitation and we have to complement,” he said.
It was observed that no fewer than 150 eligible children and high number of pregnant mothers were vaccinated during the outreach, apart from other medical services rendered.
The dignitaries that attended the zero dose in Farar Kasa include, UNICEF Deputy Representative Programme, Chief Operation and Chief of Field Officers.
Other are, Dr. Gerida Brukilla who is heading UNICEF C Field.
