Checkpoint vaccination yield great results—UNICEF

An innovation to bring in the military to help immunise children is said to have achieved profound result for Plateau State in the previous exercises, a report by United Nations Children’s Fund has said.

The UNICEF Bauchi Field Office attracted the six states of Adamawa, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba and Plateau to a two-day review meeting, which ended yesterday, with implementing officers commending innovations by field officers to strengthen services in health.

UNICEF provides certain health services in Nigeria, including immunization to eradicate polio.   

The report, which was presented on behalf of all the states by Mrs. Hannatu Abubakar, the Coordinator of Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (PHDA), stated that the international organisation sought a military cooperation that saw their checkpoints in Plateau used during the period of 2016 as immunization points.

The report called it “Checkpoint Immunization,” with the field office immunization specialist, Mrs. Margaret Amshi Gituwa explaining to participants that the office had to visit the command of the Special Task Force (STF), to seek the cooperation.

She said the STF command approved of the cooperation, and instructed its personnel at checkpoints, especially at the gateways into Plateau State, to assist in stopping vehicles to avail the children on transit.

“The soldiers have been so wonderful in their cooperation with us. All we need to do is to stage a unit of immunization personnel at such checkpoints, and wait for travellers. The soldiers will stop the vehicles for routine security search, and then hand the occupants to us, if there are children of five and below, for immunization,” Mrs. Margaret said.

“The result has been profound.”

Official comments from the STF command media office confirmed the cooperation.

Captain Adam Umar, the spokesman, told Daily Trust that the international organisation had visited to seek the cooperation, and had to return recently to show gratitude.