By Hassan Zaggi
Hajara, a 34-year-old mother of three, is one of the early visitors to the Bindigari Primary Health Care Centre to receive the Yellow Fever vaccination. She was at the clinic with two of her children.
Bindigari PHC is located in Damaturu Local Government Area of Yobe State.
The immunization team of the clinic also came out in good time to attend to residents of the area who needed to uptake the Yellow Fever vaccine.
Yellow Fever disease is cause by mosquito bite. Experts disclosed that the disease is capable of causing serious liver damage and is a significant public health concern.
Prior to the commencement of the 12-day long Yellow Fever vaccination campaign, the Yobe State Government had earlier embarked on massive sensitization campaign to educate residents on the importance of up taking the vaccine and the need for them to come out enmasse to be vaccinated free of charge.
The Yellow Fever vaccination campaign was held across the 17 local governments areas with the target of capturing 85 per cent of the population in the state within the ages of 9 months to 44 years old.
The vaccine was administered in designated places, schools and health facilities within the communities.
The yellow fever vaccination campaign was integrated with Maternal Newborn Tetanus Elimination (MNTE) in three local governments areas of the state, specifically, Karasuwa, Yunisafari and Bursari.
The integration of the Yellow fever vaccination and MNTE in the three local government of the state was because of the reported cases of Neonatal Tetanus that were been reported.
Responding to questions from our Correspondent on why she came with her two children to receive the vaccination, Hajara said: “We were told that receiving the vaccination will prevent us from sickness and regular visit to the hospital. There is hardship now, therefore, since it is something that the government has brought to prevent us from spending money going for treatment in the hospital, I think it is good that we come and take it. I am here with my two children. The third one will take his own in the school.”
Asked whether she sought the consent of her husband before coming with the children to uptake the vaccination, she said: “My husband is aware that we are coming to the clinic this coming. He even gave us money for transport (Okada). He encouraged us to come out early so that we can also go back home in good time.”
Hajara however, said: “I am happy that I and my 2 kids have received the vaccination, but my concern now is that there are no Mosquito nets to protect us from the mosquito bite.
“We were told that the sickness is caused by mosquito bite. I am worried because we don’t have nets in our house. The ones we have are bad. We need new ones.”
Also corroborating the need for mosquito nets by residents of the state, a grassroot mobiliser, Chingi Bukar, said that the issue of mosquito nets is a regular one among members of the communities whenever they go to mobilize them to support any government policy.
According to her: “We are not having much challenges because parents and caregivers are cooperating with us. We have been able to mobilize a lot of children to come out for the yellow fever vaccination. The parents and the caregivers are giving us maximum cooperation because they are familiar with us.
“They always come to ask us for Mosquito nets and also ask us to remember them whenever the government is giving anything to the people.
“Because these people always cooperate with us whenever we go to them on any government policy, especially in terms of health programs like polio immunization and other vaccination activities, there is the need for the government to, from time to time, find something to appreciate them for the support.
“This yellow fever vaccination that is being given to children will, not doubt, be helpful because it will reduce the rate of sickness and consequent hospital visits. I am personally happy seeing our children and even adults within the age bracket of 9 months to 45 years receiving this vaccination.”
A cross section of mobilisers in Tarmuwa and Fune Local Government Areas visited by our Correspondent also said that the issue of mosquito nets is one of the major requests by residents of the area.
State Government’s Intervention
However, responding to questions from our Correspondent, the Director Immunisation and Disease Control and Incident Manager of Yobe State, Dr. Umar Chiroma, disclosed that the state government has concluded plans to distribute mosquito nets in 2025.
He revealed that: “We actually had a mass distribution of mosquito nets in 2021. Plan has been concluded to have another mass distribution in 2025. The care givers and the households will be able to access and get it.
“We equally have the ones for routine PHC services like the child who has just completed his routine immunization like Panta three and the woman who actually completed her antenatal visits.
“Now we even want to change it to a woman who actually had 3 visits during antenatal. This is another window of opportunity that we want to use to give the mosquito nets to communities for now, but the mass distribution is going to happen in 2025.”
