The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), says about 61,000 children spread across the five South East States have not received any vaccination. UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate, gave the statistics at the ongoing First Quarterly Review Meeting of the South-East Zone Traditional Rulers’ Committee on PHC Delivery in Awka. The review meeting was organized by the Federal Ministry of Health in collaboration
with the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency.
Munduate, who was represented by Juliet Chiluwe, UNICEF Chief Field Office Enugu, said that the situation was worse in Anambra and Imo which were responsible for more than 30 percent and 25 percent respectively. According to her, the percentage is quite low. She said that the rate of anemia in pregnant women in the Southeast states stood at an alarming range of 48 per cent to 61 per cent, and needed to be urgently arrested and reversed.
She also said that the practice of initiating breastfeeding within one hour of birth and maintaining exclusive breastfeeding for six months, was observed to be very low in the southeast, hinting that, that all hands must be on deck to return to the old-time good practice and it could be achieved through engagement with community leaders.
She said that UNICEF would continue to work with traditional leaders to improve the uptake of antenatal and postnatal care, skilled birth attendance, and child immunization at subnational levels.
Chidozie Chima | August 14, 2024
