The federal government has had ensured to eradicate measles from Nigeria by year 2020.
The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, made this statement on Friday in Abuja during the flag –off of National Measles follow–up campaign.
He said “measles is among the top five causes of mortality among children under-five in Nigeria, and in the year 2000, over 523,000 deaths was reported due to measles.”
The World Health Assembly had mentioned that there was need for global efforts to be intensified to reduce these mortality figures in response to this challenge.
Prof. Adewole stressed that measles vaccination have played a key role in reducing child mortality and in achieving progress towards attainment of Millennium Development Goal 4.
He as well mentioned that the 2015 National Measles Follow-up is to be implemented in northern clusters from 21st -25th November 2015, while the southern clusters are scheduled to take off from 28th January – 1st February 2016.
He also said that the 2015 campaign is targeting over 39 million children 9-59 months of age in the country.
He informed that the campaign is supported by Federal Government, Gavi and other developmental Partners while appreciating President Muhammadu Buhari for his commitment for programmes in the health sector.
In his remark, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Mohammed Bello, represented by the Acting Secretary of Health, FCT, Mrs. Odey Achu, said that the campaign is aimed at administering a booster dose to children already vaccinated and as an opportunity for reaching out to ‘’ missed children’ ’that is children that ought to have been vaccinated in the earlier rounds.
He said that this intervention have been showed to be cost effective ,of high impact and result oriented in respect of improving child health in FCT and the nation at large.
Bello pledged that FCT will support and collaborate with all relevant agencies and stakeholders in health sector towards eradication of Measles by the year 2020.
The Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Ado Mohammed, said that the National flag- off of measles follow up campaign is the first assignment of the Minister.
Mohammed lauded the technical support of the developmental partners and others stakeholder in the health sector.
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