UNICEF interventions have been described as one the major reasons for successes being recorded in immunization in Ebonyi state.
This State Immunization Office (SIO), Mr. Solomon Elom, disclosed this to Blueprint in Abakaliki.
Elom disclosed that the vaccines used for immunization and cooling facilities such as deep freezers to the facilities were provided by UNICEF in the state.
He said, “The vaccines used for immunization in the state are provided by development partner, especially by UNICEF, infact the vaccines for routine immunization we are embarking on now was provided by the UNICEF including the Sas. The vaccines used are being provided by UNICEF, WHO and other partners provides personnel but UNICEF provided the vaccine and some of the equipments such as Fridges for freezing ice pack and storing of the vaccines.
“UNICEF recently provided four fridges for some local government that lack storage facilities, such as Izzi LGA, Afikpo, Ohaukwu and Ikwo local government areas respectively.
“Without that intervention,what it means is that there would be nothing like immunization. All their interventions are very good, you can’t use that vaccine without the fridge, you can’t use that vaccine without the personnel they provided, so their intervention have helped to achieve more.
Collaborating Elom, the UNICEF Vaccine Security and Logistics (VSL) Consultant, State Facilitator Jennifer Okafor, said that they have provided a total number of 1,283,950 doses of OPV for the NIPDs campaign.
Okafor however, said that immunization exercise will commence on the 3rd of May 2025, tentatively.
She explained that they do not envisage challenges about storage because there are facilities like the Ebonyi Cold Store, refrigerators and such other facilities.
She however, said that they had to contend with the issues of rumors of dangers of immunization, especially among the illiterate targets, “in view of that we are sensitizing the people getting their minds ready for exercise.
As concerns the troubled communities, the VSL said that, “yes there are security and szz issues in areas like Effium , Ishielu. That notwithstanding, we have ways of going round that”.
The SIO however said that Political rivalry, misinformation, culture among others forms the challenges faced during immunization but said that with the help of native influencers they are being contained.
He explained that a number of trained personnel have difficulties in keying into the new policies of using android phones and other application devices that have been introduced.