Angela Mbaocha, Abakaliki
USAID-IHP along side new members of the consortium Sydani Initiative for International Development, yesterday engaged the Honorable Commissioner for Health Ebonyi State, Dr. Daniel Umezurike at his Abakaliki office on Mass and Mobile Covid-19 vaccination.
The mass vaccination as stated has as part of its objectives to recruit, deploy and manage vaccination teams (COVID-19 & RI), Support NPHCDA to coordinate the implementation of MV models as well as integration of COVID-19 into RI.
The Programme Officers, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nebe and Ezinne Obeta said that the vaccination would use two strategic approaches, Mass vaccination and mobile/Bus outreach.
Adding that the mass vaccination team would conduct five mass vaccination sessions per day and 20 mass vaccination sessions weekly for 5 months, while c
vaccination team would visit 2 settlements per day for five working days in the same period.
They noted that It was expected that within 22 weeks, the teams would have conducted 440 MCV and 220 mobile outreach targeting a minimum of 50 persons on COVID 19 and 6 persons on RI daily, while 33,000 people would be reached with Covid-19 and 3960 with Routine Immunization by the end of the exercise.
Mr. Chukwuemeka, affirmed that five USAID-IHP- Supported States (Kebbi, Sokoto, Bauchi FCT, and Ebonyi) would benefit from this exercise.
The commissioner urged the team to carry-out out advocacy to clergy, traditional rulers, Community Mobilizers, and town announcers as they can contribute to 60% of ownership and sustainability.
In attendance were Executive Secretary, 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 would work with state stakeholders to develop the first draft of the vaccination plan for the state. An official flagoff was planned for the 2nd week of July 2022.
