See When Anambra Government Will Begin Integrated Measles Campaign

Anambra State Government will begin integrated measles campaign on Tuesday October 25, 2022.

The exercise will last till Wednesday November 2, 2022.

The Executive Secretary, Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Chioma Ezenyimulu announced the date for the commencement of the campaign during an engagement meeting with media practitioners ahead of the measles campaign in Awka.

According to Dr Ezenyimulu, who was represented at the meeting by the Director of Disease Control and Immunization in the agency, Dr Placid Uliagbafusi, the measles campaign is considered integrated because it will feature other primary health care services including routine immunization, birth registration, and Covid-19 vaccination.

While calling on media practitioners to partner the agency in increasing sensitization and proper information dissemination ahead of the exercise, Dr Ezenyimulu said the measles vaccination will be given to children from nine to fifty-nine months that is five years, childhood vaccines will be available to children aged zero to twenty-three months while Covid-19 vaccine will be available for adults from age 18.

She stated that the vaccines are free, safe and effective and urged caregivers to bring out their wards for the vaccination as health care workers will visit churches, schools markets and parks to administer the vaccines

Contributing, the representatives of partnering agencies including the Anambra State Coordinator, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, NPHCDA, Mr Obiora Agbakwulu, State Technical Officer, Non-polio Supplemental Immunization Activities of the World Health Organization, Mr Chris Ezenwanne, the Communication for Development Consultant of UNICEF, Mr Kenneth Mac-Fisi, and the Anambra State Epidemologist, Dr Chuma Emembolu emphasized the importance of participating in the measles immunization ahead of the November/February season considered as a time with the highest cases of measles.

They also noted that the flood disaster being witnessed in the state increases the risk of the spread of other diseases and therefore the reason the Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Ministry of Health and their partners considered making the campaign an integrated one.