Nigeria Declared Polio Virus Free
Congratulations Nigeria for attaining Wild Polio Virus free status. It is indeed gladdening to see this happen in our lifetime. Together, we will defeat all major public health emergencies and achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3 on 'Quality health and wellbeing for all'.
This particular news gladness my heart, as I recalled years back while working at the Primary Health Centre, precisely Medical record department. Each time we go out for National Immunization Plus Days Program or Outreach especially in hard-to-reach settlement, it was always a disappointing stories seeing mother's who have never brought their child to the health facilities for Immunization.
I also recalled when I was a staff at Japan International Cooperation Agency working as operation manager for the intervention, Automatic Appointment and Defaulters Tracing System, the agency did tremendous job to strengthen the capacity of health workers, community mobilizers and development a system to help the State track mother's who don't return for vaccination through an automatic SMS delivery system. It is indeed an intervention the State need to continue to strengthen and use the data for making informed decision to improve the health intervention in the state.
There was a particular months too, I was invited at Orisun TV to discuss about Child health, I focused on Immunization, enlightened the audience that they have responsibilities monitoring their child growth and immunization till age 5 years at the health facilities.
I was amazed at the feedback when mother's asked if it's really true they have to bring their child for Immunization till 5 years, many of them forget about vitamin A and growth monitoring check up as part of immunization services for their children till age 5 years, after the vaccination at 9 months most of them stop coming.
This news of our being polio free is not the time to relax but for all of us to be hardworking and care about strengthen our health system. The pandemic is really affecting health services delivery and mostly Mother and Child health Care. We need to be intentional to strengthen our health system by getting involved from the grassroot, create innovative solutions that are sustainable to achieve the Universal Health Coverage and SDGs 3.
Sheriff Gbadamosi
Public Health Enthusiast
#SDG #UHC
#GoodHealthandWellbeing
