… Vaccine introduction has economic impact-NPHCDA
By Hassan Zaggi
The introduction of the Rotavirus vaccine into the Nigeria Routine Immunization Schedule has attracted commendation from the global health body- the World Health Organisation (WHO) saying that the vaccine will reduce the high number of children dying on a daily basis from diarrhoea disease caused by rotavirus.
Speaking at the official national flag-off of Rotavirus Vaccine introduction into Routine Immunization, in Abuja, Monday, the Country Representative of the WHO in Nigeria, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, assured of WHO’s continued commitment to providing technical support to the introduction of the Rotavirus Vaccine into the Routine Immunization Schedule and other health interventions in Nigeria.
The launch coincided with the Flag Off of the African Vaccination Week which is a weeklong affair that improves access to basic Primary Health Care Services, routine immunization, COVID-19 vaccination, deworming, Vitamin A supplementation, medical outreach services to our teaming rural populations.
Dr. Mulombo, therefore, charged the federal government to ensure that the introduction of the vaccine “is part of a comprehensive strategy to control diarrhoeal diseases with the scaling up of both preventive and treatment packages.
“Nigeria, being one of the 4 countries that harbor approximately half the global burden stands to have enormous gains from the economic impact of this introduction.”
While saying that immunization remains the most cost-effective public health intervention, Dr. Mulombo regretted that: “Unfortunately, the benefits of immunization are unevenly shared.”
He, therefore, urged the federal government to continue to implement the immunization agenda 2030 and the GAVI 5.0 strategy seeks to address this gap by “Leaving no one behind with immunization”.
“If we stop vaccination, deadly diseases will return, and when people are not vaccinated, infectious diseases that have become uncommon can quickly return.
Commend Government
“I want to commend the efforts of the Government of Nigeria for keeping immunization high on the national agenda.
“Indeed, immunization is the right of every Nigerian child, and the Government of Nigeria has sustained this partnership. The investments in promoting immunization through the life course as also demonstrated by the progress in the COVID-19 vaccination is commendable.
“Even very significant, is sustaining the awareness creation on immunization through network engagement which the African Vaccination Week provides,” the WHO Country Reps said.
On his part, the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Faisal Shuiab, disclosed that the introduction of Rotavirus vaccine is a huge investment due to its substantial economic impact and number of lives that the country is going to save from the introduction.
“It is projected that while reducing the associated morbidity and mortality from the rotavirus infections, the rotavirus vaccine introduction has the potential to avert over 110,000 deaths over a 10-year period,” he stressed.
While noting that the Rotavirus is one of the leading causes of diarrheal disease in the world and is responsible for over 40% of diarrhoea in children, he said that Nigeria has the second highest number of deaths from rotavirus, accounting for 14% of all childhood rotavirus deaths worldwide and “annually, approximately 50,000 deaths occur in children under 5 years in Nigeria as a result of rotavirus infection.”
Explaining how the vaccine will be administered, Dr. Shuaib said: “This vaccine is going to be given orally and will be administered concurrently with the existing Routine Immunization (RI) vaccines at 6weeks, 10weeks and 14weeks respectively.
“The vaccine will be integrated with other diarrheal preventive strategies, such as exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life; Vitamin A supplementation
§ Handwashing, sanitation, and other key household practices; case management including the use of zinc- ORS to prevent dehydration, continued feeding, and treatment services for diarrhea and other childhood diseases.
Dr. Shuaib, therefore, called on parents and caregivers to take their eligible children to the nearest Primary Health Care Center “for this important vaccine and other routine vaccines that are in the system until their children are fully vaccinated. Rotavirus vaccine is free, safe and effective at preventing diarrheal disease caused by the Rotavirus.”
