Critical stakeholders in the health sector have called on town announcers, market women, traditional rulers, community and religious groups to be actively involved in the campaign for the uptake of covid-19 vaccines in Kogi State.
This forms part of the communiques issued at the end of Kogi Central one day Senatorial district level Stakeholders meeting on Covid-19 vaccine and emerging issues organized by Challenged Parenthood Initiative (CPI) in partnership with Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD).
The workshop was aimed at educating and enlightening the people of the Central Senatorial District on the need to take and encourage others to take the COVID-19 vaccines.
While stressing on the need for Kogites to maintain, and improve personal hygiene, the communique also advocated that Covid-19 vaccines should be integrated into routine immunization exercise.
Parts of the communique reads “It was advocated that vaccines confidence, vaccine convenience and vaccine compliancy should be encouraged and educate the public. There is needs for creating more awareness, encourage people to take the full doses across communities.
“People with disabilities should be more considered when calling for similar meetings on covid-19 intake, as there is need to always makethe vaccination centers PWDS compliance (Accessibility)”.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Executive Director, Challenged Parenthood Initiative, (CPI), Ms Eunice Abimbola Agbogun expressed gratitude to Kogi State Ministry of Health for providing the organization an enabling environment to carry out the project on Enhancing Demand Creation and Uptake of COVID-19 Vaccine in Kogi State.
While noting that CPI is recognized as member of the State Team on COVID-19 vaccination, Agbogun stressed that, the Kogi State government have made great stride towards protecting citizens of the state from the effect of coronavirus.
Represented by Mrs Mariam Bello, the CPI boss said “As part of CPI effort to curtail myths, misconceptions and address emerging issues on COVID-19 vaccines, we paid advocacy visits to critical stakeholders, build their capacity to make the facts known to their parishioners and general public. Airing of jingles is ongoing, including a 1-hour COVID-19 vaccine public education radio programme on Grace FM Lokoja, which started in December 2021.
“CPI uses various approaches, partners and other strategies to enlighten the public on the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccine and also promotes the use of non-pharmaceutical interventions”.
She recalled that, the CFL-CITAD project on demand creation for COVID-19 vaccine in Kogi State commenced in November 2021 and it is aim at complementing government effort in the fight against, COVID-19.
Explaining further, Agbogun said, “the objectives of the sensitization meeting include enhancing capacity of participants to disseminate correct and factual information to the general public, and increase awareness on emerging issues and the use of non-pharmaceutical prevention methods by citizens. This meeting provides forum for discussion, experience sharing, provide guidance and devise a strategy to increase vaccination rate in target communities.
“CPI will launch another COVID 19 vaccine public education radio programme on the airwaves of Radio Kogi 93.5 FM Otite in Okene. The interactive weekly live talk show will come on air every Friday at 9:00am, and will be presented in local language”.
Agbogun is of the view that, globally, the number of reported COVID-19 cases and death continues to decline, adding that, it was encouraging, hence the need for citizens to still take preventive measure not to affected with the virus.
Participants at the meeting included critical stakeholders from the Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, (KSPHCDA), Local Government Health Workers, Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN), Jama’tu Nasril Islam, (JNI), Traditional rulers, and the media both print and broadcast.
