UNICEF holds Social Behavioral Change Quarterly Meeting on Vaccination in Osun
…Stakeholders tasked to re-strategise, enhance acceptability of HPV and polio vaccine uptake…
By Aminat Adebare,
As part of effort in ensuring an inclusive immunisation for every child and wider acceptability of Human Papilloma Virus and polio vaccine in Osun State, stakeholders have been advised to re-strategise to safeguard the children ‘s well being.
This was disclosed at the Social Behavioural change meeting organized by the Osun State Ministry of Information and public enlightenment in conjunction with UNICEF Lagos Field office, held at the Ministry’s conference hall, Abere.
In their separate submissions, speakers at the meeting including, the State Commissioner for Information Hon. Kolapo Alimi, represented by the Osun UNICEF Director of Programme, Mr. Raphael Ojo, the UNICEF South West Social Behavioural change expert, Mrs Akinwole Aderonke, the State health promotion officer, Mrs Taiwo Florence, Osun Former UNICEF Director of Programme, Mr. Adegboye Gideon and host of others described routine immunisation for every child from birth to fifty nine months, as not only sacrosanct to ward off childhood diseases rather, it remains a strong soldiers to guarantee their survival.
They stressed the need for the Stakeholders to re-double efforts on regular sensitisation in their catchment areas and others, and also to leverage on digital Technology to reach out to heterogeneous audience for wide acceptability and vaccine uptake.
The UNICEF South West and Delta state social behavioural change expert, who commended Osun for the level of awareness about the uptake of the polio vaccine, also noted that, much sensitisation are required at the grassroots areas, so as to get the desired result.
She recalled her experience concerning the carefree attitude of some nursing mothers about children’s vaccination with a particular reference to what she witnessed at Ife Central area of the State, with lots of unvaccinated children.
Mrs. Akinwole Aderonke who opined that, children’s survival is anchored on proper vaccination, the right care, balanced diet among others spoke extensively on the need to mothers to get Human papilloma Virus vaccine preventing cervical cancer for their female children between the ages nine to fourteen in their own interest.
The UNICEF and the Ministry of Information’s SBC quarterly meeting afforded the Stakeholders the opportunity to divide themselves into groups and deliberated on the methods to be adopted to ensure that, no child is left out in the HPV as well as polio vaccination in Osun.
At the end of the groups meeting, each person per group presented their finding before the audience.