The USAID-IHP alongside the new members of the consortium Sydani Initiative for International Development, yesterday engaged the Ebonyi Commissioner for Health, Dr Daniel Umezurike at his office in Abakaliki to ensure the successful outing of the mass and mobile Covid-19 vaccination exercise in the state, NATIONAL PANEL reports.
Mass vaccination has as part of its objectives to recruit, deploy and manage vaccination teams (COVID-19 & RI), Support the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) to coordinate the implementation of Mass Vaccination (MV) models as well as integration of COVID-19 into Routine Immunisation (RI).
The Programme Officers, Mr Chukwuemeka Nebe and Ezinne Obeka said that the vaccination will use two (2) strategic approaches - Mass vaccination (MV) and mobile/Bus outreach.
The mass vaccination team will conduct five(5) mass vaccination sessions per day and 20 mass vaccination sessions weekly for 5.5 months, while the mobile vaccination team will visit 2 settlements per day for five (5) working days in the same period. It is expected that within 22 weeks, the teams would have conducted 440 MCV and 220 mobile outreaches targeting a minimum of 50 persons with COVID 19 and 6, persons with RI daily where 33,000 people will be reached with Covid-19 and 3960 with Routine Immunization by the end of the exercise.
Mr Chukwuemeka, affirms that five USAID-IHP- Supported States (Kebbi, Sokoto, Bauchi FCT, and Ebonyi) will benefit from this exercise.
The commissioner urged the team to carry-out out advocacy to clergy, traditional rural, Community Mobilizers, and town announcers as they can contribute to 60% of ownership and sustainability.
In Attendance were the Executive Secretary of State Primary Health Care Development Agency- Dr Kate Barry-Oko, DDCI- Mrs Victoria Ogbonaya, SERICC PM- Dr Miracle Ogbu, State Health Educator- Mrs Priscilia Ajaodi, State CCO- Mrs Nkechinyere Ukpabi, SIO- Mr Kalu Ogbona, USAID State Technical Director- Dr Oladipo Akinmade and USAID KM Officer- Mr Uchenna Anoke
As part of the Next Step, the SIO was appointed as the state focal person, and USAID IHP will work with state stakeholders to develop the first draft of the vaccination plan for the state. An official flag-off is planned for the 2nd week of July 2022.
