Charles Ekanem|2 November 2017
Cross River State gets a booster from the European Union, National Primary Health Care Agency and UNICEF.
Immunisation is one of the cost effective ways of reducing deaths or morbidity in children and even adults in some cases. For many years in Cross River State, we having being struggling with the pull system of immunisation, where health workers come from different Local Government areas and hard to reach areas, traveling through rough terrains to Calabar (state cold store to pick/Pull vaccines). In recent times, sadly two workers had lost their lives on the road as one was hit by a careless motorist while trying to get a vehicle to come to calabar.
Beyond this, when staff from local government pick vaccines from the state cold store, sometimes the are not carried in best of conditions to the end users and some vaccines lose their full potency on the way.
Ayade government has made these sad experience history. First he relocated the state cold store together with the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency that directly manage the state immunisation program with support from ministry of health to a new befitting site, then instituted the PUSH system where vaccines are taken from the cold store by the Primary Health Care Agency Staff to the various local government in optimal condition.
Vaccines stock out in different LGAs is now a thing of the past. Potency of vaccines not in doubt and our children now have access to protection against vaccine preventable disease. More solar direct refrigerators have been purchased. Geostyle boxes for vaccine carrying into several communities including hard to reach have been purchased.
Further boost for the state as the immunisation program has received a brand new Ford ranger for the push system from EU-SIGN and NPHCDA, DSR and vaccine boxes from UNICEF.
To support Government push system, the European Union (EU) through European Union Support to Immunization Governance in Nigeria (EU-SIGN) and UNICEF on the 27th of October ( DG birthday) donated equipment, vehicles and solar refrigerators to support routine immunization activities in Cross River state
Receiving the vehicle and other immunization commodities, Dr Betta Edu said the Ford Ranger Hilux will boost the State Immunization Push System and enable the Agency deliver Vaccines on time to rural areas. "All these is to help fast track routine immunization coverage in the state".
She reaffirmed State Government commitment to reducing the infant/child morbidity and mortality rates in the State, disclosed that the equipment and vehicle supplies provided by EU through EU SIGN project in Nigeria will go a long way in assisting the State to meet Sustainable Development Goals.
While appreciating UNICEF for making immunization delivery handy at hard to Reach Areas in the State, Dr Edu revealed that Cross River State Government under the able leadership of Senator ( Prof) Ben Ayade will continue to collaborate with EU and UNICEF to do more .
Also Speaking, Director Primary Healthcare, Dr Ana Onebiene said the vehicles and immunization commodities from both organizations will help strengthened immunization across the State by closing out on polio and other killer diseases.
About 120 pieces Geostyle Vaccines Carriers and 3 Solar Direct Drive Refrigerators were given to the Agency.
