Cross River targets 900,000 children for immunisation

The Cross River State government has targeted 930,000 pregnant women and children to receive healthcare from the 2021 Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) in the state.

The launching of the Inactivated Polio Virus Vaccine 2 (IPV2), a high impact health intervention with Partnership with the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHDA) and other development partners was officially flagged off yesterday by the wife of the State Governor, Dr Linda Ayade in a Muslim community, Bogobiri in Calabar.

The Director-General of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (CRSPHCDA), Dr Janet Ekpenyong said this year’s exercise is targetting 900, 000 children who will be vaccinated against polio and 30, 000 pregnant mothers will receive mosquito nets and other supplements to strengthen their immune system.

“During this year’s MNCHW, 900,000 will be given the IPV2 while 30,000 pregnant women will receive medical kits and access services.

“This is an opportunity to ensure that pregnant women have access to all supplements and also ensure that children are dewormed and access needed vaccines”, she said.
Ekpenyong said the exercise is a high impact because it will help to bridge the gap occasioned by the COVID-19 crisis, adding that health workers have been assigned to hard to reach areas where pregnant women and children find it difficult to access healthcare.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Betta Edu, said the idea is to reach women and children with the best of health services, “that will keep them alive.
She said the Injectable Polio Vaccines are now being administered so that we don’t have a polio outbreak in the state.

Edu explained that the state government is determined to reduce the mortality of pregnant mothers and children to zero level and ultimately achieve universal health coverage.

On her part, Dr Ayade called on husbands to support their wives and children in receiving the best healthcare provided by the government.

She said the state does not want to lose children and pregnant mothers due to circumstances that can be avoided.

The governor’s wife however promised to set up a branch of the Cross River Emancipation Initiative (CROWEI) in Bogobiri to enable the Muslim women get timely information and needed assistance when the need arises.