Chijioke Iremeka
Anambra State Health Commissioner, Dr Afam Obidike, has faulted the wife of the state governor, Dr Nonye Soludo’s statement on low immunisation uptake in the state.
Contrary to Soludo’s claim, Obidike said the state had recorded a 15 percent increase in childhood immunisation uptake between 2022 and 2024, maintaining that the state does not have low immunisation uptake.
He stated that this year alone, the state had surpassed the national benchmark of 90 percent for three key antigens including Bacillus Calmette-Guérin for tuberculosis (113 percent ); measles (95 percent ); and yellow fever (94 percent ) when compared to 2022 figures.
Dr Afam Obidike
The commissioner said the state government was determined to achieve 100 percent immunisation coverage.
Obidike, who spoke in an exclusive with PUNCH Healthwise stated that the state government had prioritised childhood immunisation which he said was critical to child development.
The commissioner, however, said the term ‘low immunisation’ specifically referred to the Human Papillomavirus vaccine, which he stated faced similar hesitancy nationwide, stating that the wife of the governor’s statement was taken out of context.
Recall that the governor’s wife in August decried the low uptake of immunisation in the state, urging mothers to prioritise the health and future of their children.https://healthwise.punchng.com/soludos-wife-decries-low-immunisation-uptake-in-anambra/
Soludo spoke at the 2nd Anambra State Women Health Summit organised under her Healthy Living Initiative in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, in Awka.
She said that immunisation was important to protect children from lifelong illness.
“I’m not happy to hear that our state is recording low immunisation uptake. Mothers need to create time and take their children to health facilities to get them vaccinated.
“These childhood vaccines are free, safe, and effective. Mothers should see immunisation as a top priority because when your child is healthy, you are free from the stress and expenses experienced when a child is ill”, she said.
Similarly, Dr Uju Obiagwu of the WHO, also lamented that immunisation coverage was gradually reducing in Anambra.
But speaking with our correspondent, the commissioner maintained that the state was not experiencing a low immunisation uptake.
Obidike assured that efforts were focused on encouraging mothers to present their children for vaccinations.
He added, “The term ‘low immunisation’ mentioned by the governor’s wife referred specifically to the HPV vaccine, which faced widespread hesitancy across the country. We addressed this issue by actively sensitising the community and encouraging parents to vaccinate their girls.
“Again, the reference to low immunisation uptake was taken out of context. It did not pertain to regular nationwide childhood immunisations. Initially, there was resistance to the HPV vaccination, but thanks to our targeted efforts and advocacy, more people began to accept and receive the vaccine.
“Ignorance was a significant factor contributing to hesitancy about the HPV vaccine. However, through extensive education efforts, we were able to overcome this barrier, and the vaccine has since been widely accepted. Anambra is now one of the states with the second-lowest under-five and maternal mortality rates.
Continuing, he said, “Our near-zero mortality rate is a result of our commitment to providing free antenatal and cesarean section services to pregnant women. To date, over 60,000 women have benefited from these services.
“We faced challenges, especially when we launched the HPV vaccine. Some individuals tried to hinder our efforts, but we remained focused on our goal and persisted in advocating for the vaccine.”
Revealing recent statistics, Obidike said that the state had witnessed an average increase of over 15 percent in immunisation rates across all antigens, attributing the increase to the recruitment of more health workers and substantial investments in primary health care.
“Currently, Anambra exceeds the national benchmark of 90 percent for three key antigens: BCG (113 percent ), measles (95 percent ), and yellow fever (94 percent), compared to the figures from 2022,” he said.
Regarding the factors driving the current increase in immunisation uptake in the state, Obidike highlighted several key elements.
He pointed out that enhanced sensitisation and education efforts have played a crucial role, saying that increased awareness allows mothers to bring their children in for immunisation soon after birth, while house-to-house campaigns further contribute to the success of these efforts.
Obidike also noted that the rise in hospital deliveries had significantly improved immunisation rates.
According to him, as more women have access to hospital deliveries, their babies can receive immunisation which has contributed to higher immunisation coverage.
Obidike further explained that, before the current administration, some communities experienced measles outbreaks, but through improved vaccine availability and targeted sensitisation efforts, these outbreaks had been effectively managed and contained.
“ This proactive approach has been instrumental in curbing the incidence of measles and other childhood diseases in the state”, he said.
“During the August meeting, we engaged with communities across the state to discuss health promotion, nutrition, and mortality. At that meeting, the governor’s wife highlighted the importance of healthy nutrition and distributed three-in-one pap to everyone present.
“We addressed the issue of childhood diseases and emphasised the critical role of childhood immunisation i
n preventing these diseases. We stressed that our goal is to achieve 100 percent immunisation coverage and urged everyone to ensure their children receive the necessary vaccinations.
“To increase awareness and access to immunisation, we conduct house-to-house education campaigns. This approach has enhanced our outreach and improved immunisation coverage on a local government-by-local government basis. Anambra is equipped with 326 functional Primary Healthcare Centres, all of which are currently undergoing renovation to better serve our communities.
“Our efforts in boosting immunisation uptake have proven effective. While four years ago, we faced cholera outbreaks, particularly during flooding, but this year, we did not record a single case of cholera in any region of Anambra State, despite the broader cholera outbreak”, he said.
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