Nath Gbaoron, Lafia
The Nigerian Red Cross Society has tasked stakeholders in Nasarawa State to intensify mass vaccination campaigns for COVID-19 and related diseases.
Mr Barnabas Asoloko, Branch Communication Officer, Nigerian Red Cross Society, Nasarawa State, gave this charge at a one – Day stakeholders engagement on Project” Saving Lives, Livelihood and COVID-19 SCALE 3.0 in Lafia.
According to him, the stakeholder’s engagement that has its theme ” The COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Campaign in Nasarawa State, the Journey So Far” aimed at x – x-ray the progress made by various stakeholders in the campaign.
Asoloko said the meeting would enable them to get feedback responses from various trade unions, CBOs, CSOs, religious and community leaders as regards what they have done to ensure their members access the vaccine.
He explained that the project Saving Lives and Livelihood is an initiative of Mastercard Foundation in partnership with African Union and African Centre for Disease Control.
Asoloko said the project aimed at giving support to African countries to address issues of COVID-19 vaccine, noting that the project was specifically supporting National Primary Health Care Development Agency on COVID-19 SCALE 3.0 in Nigeria.
“We called for stakeholder’s engagement because we need to know the progress so far on COVID-19 in Nasarawa state, the overall development, where we are lagging and what we are supposed to do, and also to get feedback,” he said.
Asoloko said another sensitisation programme would hold on campuses of Nine higher institutions as well as roadshow across Nasarawa state as part of Risk Communication and Community Engagement under the coordination of the Red Cross.
Mr Mohammed Ibrahim, Director, Health education and social mobilisation, Nasarawa state Primary Health Care Development Agency, commended the Red Cross for the partnership to better the lives of people in the state.
Mrs Nnena Eze, Nasarawa State Coordinator for National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, advocated more access to adequate soaps by women to maintain proper hand wash, clothes, surfaces and floors.
“Another thing is immunisation, women should be sensitised on the need to immunize their children, saving lives are everybody’s business, not just mother only, father, son, daughter, neighbor opinion leaders should get involved,” she said.
The stakeholders from various trade unions, CBOs, CSOs, Nigeria Labour Congress, Nigerian Union of Journalists, International Federation of Women Lawyers, Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria were in attendance.