By Daniel Tyokua
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has taken more steps to strengthen the entire routine immunization structures across the Six Area Councils of the territory.
Minister of State for the FCT , Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, disclosed that the Administration will do everything possible to make primary health care landscape in the city meet up with the vision of President Muhammadu Buhari to polio eradication in the country.
The minister stated this at the first meeting of the FCT taskforce on Polio Eradication Initiative and Routine Immunization for the year 2022 to discuss and strategize on matters of routine immunization activities.
Aliyu who was represented by the Senior Special Assistant on Administration, Prof. Muhammad Usman, noted that through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, the Administration is already rehabilitating the Primary Health Care infrastructure, engaging additional health workers and providing essential medicines to further strengthen the PHC sector
She also noted that the efforts of the Taskforce has contributed significantly to the success of polio campaigns in the territory with no wild Polio Virus confirmed in FCT for over 7 years, just as she called for regular meetings of the Taskforce.
In his remarks, the mandate Secretary, Health and Human Services, Dr. Abubakar Tafida, revealed that the secretariat would deployed 1,639 teams in 4 days starting from January 22 to vaccinate 1165981 under 5 years children in 2,837 communities across the territory.
Tafida, therefore, charged participants to identify numerous challenges facing immunization landscape at the FCT area council and community levels with a view to finding solutions to those challenges.
Recall that in 2015, Mr President personally signed the reviewed Abuja Commitments document on behalf of the Federation while the Chairman, Governors’ Forum signed on behalf of the 36 States Governors and the Minister of FCT to ensure a Polio free Nation with clear responsibilities for each tier of government.
