By Michael Nnebife
The Wife of Anambra State Governor, Mrs Nonye Soludo, has called on the critical stakeholders in the state, to embark on an aggressive campaign against preventable child-killer diseases, so that every child in the state will not only be alive, but also sound and happy.
The Anambra First Lady made the call in ”Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo”, her social media handle, recently.
The First Lady, who took to the social media handle in response to the 2024 Immunization Week, said Anambra was second among states with the lowest number of infant mortality in Nigeria, but expressed dissatisfaction, saying that the government would not rest on its oars until every child in the state was safe.
Her words, ‘We just kicked off the 2024 Immunization Week in Anambra State with a new target of increased coverage and better results.
‘Following the current routine immunization schedule in Nigeria, we want to make sure that every child within the vaccination age (zero to fifteen months) who is living in Anambra State is duly captured in this important exercise.
‘This exercise is a very important one. Therefore, I urge all stakeholders; including parents, guardians, schools, and religious institutions, to spread awareness and also follow up on families whose children should be vaccinated.
‘I equally appeal to women’s leaders of the 179 communities and 326 political wards in Anambra State to take up the task.
‘The responsibility of protecting our children from vaccine-preventable diseases is non-negotiable.
‘The lives of these children are as important as that future we are building around them.
‘Currently, Anambra State is second among states with the lowest number of under-5 mortality in Nigeria.
‘But we’re not satisfied and won’t be until every child is safe, sound, and happy,’ Governor Soludo’s wife said.
In a related development, Mrs Soludo also disclosed that her foundation would launch Human Papillomavirus, HPV, vaccination in the state on 24th May.
According to her, the HPV vaccine would be administered to girls from age 9 to 13.
She expressed confidence about the vaccine’s reliability, safety, and effectiveness.
‘It’s our firmest statement of action and purpose in the fight against cervical cancer in Anambra women,’ the Anambra First Lady said, urging every girl within the eligible age bracket to turn up for the vaccination, which, she stated, would be evenly administered in all the public health facilities in the state.
‘What we want to achieve is a society where cervical cancer threats are matched with fast and responsive strategies that can bring back the desired results.
‘Together, we can defeat this ravaging monster if we take the vaccination seriously.
‘Be among the first persons to get the HPV vaccine and help kick cervical cancer away from Anambra State forever,’ Mrs Soludo urged.
She also appealed to parents and other concerned stakeholders to prioritize the programme and ensure that the awareness reached every corner of the state.
