Niger state battles measles on HWN MEASLES UPDATE

The Niger State Ministry of Health has said that no fewer than one hundred and nine (109) cases of measles including five deaths have been recorded in Niger State in the past ten months.

These cases were said to be due to the refusal of parents to vaccinate their wards during measles vaccination days as most of the affected cases were of children between nine months to five years.

The Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHDA), Dr. Aliyu Yabagi Shehu made this disclosure yesterday in Minna.

According to him, 4392 cases of measles were reported in 296 local government areas in 32 states of the nation in 2014.

Yabagi said that the agency intends to carry out a one week vaccination campaign during which 907,367 children will be vaccinated.

He called for the mobilization of people in the forthcoming vaccination campaign against measles adding that measles vaccination have prevented an estimated death of 15.6 million and have reduced global measles death by 75 per cent.

The State Immunization Officer (SIO), Dr. Samuel Jiya said that the agency is working hard to reduce the annual measles incidence and achieve 95 per cent coverage during vaccination campaigns.

He expressed optimism that measles can be fought and that by 2020, the nation intends to reduce the measles mortality rate to 95 per cent.

Dr Samuel Jiya who is in charge of state Immunization i called on mothers, traditional and religious leaders to mobilize their people and ensure that they come out to vaccinate their wards.

While reminding them of the legislation in place which criminalized any resistant to Immunization in the state, disclosed that about N50 million has been earmarked for the programme scheduled for between 21st November to 25th November 2015.

Source: WWWN, HWN Africa.