NGOs Vaccinate 20,000 Children in Sokoto

Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

To reduce the child mortality rate in Sokoto State, a non-governmental organisation, Sight Savers, has administered Azithromycin vaccines to 20,000 children in Wamakko Local Government Area of the state.

Speaking at the event at the weekend at Kalambaina in Wamakko LGA, the Programme Coordinator of Sight Savers, Muhammad Rilwan, said the organisation took it upon itself to do it due to the increased rate of child mortality in the state.

He explained that the state has recorded 25 percent child mortality rate hence the need for the vaccination, disclosing that Azithromycin is an effective antibiotic against childhood diseases such as pneumonia, measles, and others.

Rilwan noted that the drug is tested and it is effective in preventing childhood diseases, stressing that children under the age of one to 11 months would be given the drug.

He noted that the first and second rounds have been given to children using Wamakko as a pilot local government area.

According to him, “We gave the first and second rounds of the drug in this local government area, and the results were positive, hence the need for this third round.

“After now, we will shift our focus to the other 22 local government areas in the state.”

He appealed to the traditional rulers in the state and other stakeholders to sensitise the people of the state to the programme.

Rilwan said: “You know that when populations are equipped with that information, irrespective of the rumours and the misinformation that is out there, they will make the right decision.”

He maintained that the organisation would continue to partner the government in the area of quality health service delivery.

“Our goal is to clearly identify areas where we can support, and we see this area of infant mortality as a potential avenue we can come in, align, and rally support behind the government’s clear vision.

“That is an incredible commitment because health is a basic human right. We also see from the outside that Nigeria is inflicted by preventable causes of death, especially infant mortality.

“That’s something preventable but we know that Nigeria is leading the world in such area, and we don’t want Nigeria to be known for having all these problems,” Rilwan said.

He urged traditional and religious leaders to continue to educate members of their communities to understand that the intervention was to benefit their people.

On his part, the state Immunisation Officer, Mr. Garba Bashar, thanked the group, Sight Savers, for the benevolent gesture.

He assured them of their continuous support towards the activities that would help in delivering quality healthcare to the people, enjoining parents of children between ages of one and 11 months to avail them of immunisation.

The immunisation officer said: “The drug is free, it is safe, and it will be widely available. So please, we encourage everybody to have their children-from one to 11 months to go and access it very quickly.”