The Kebbi Government on Friday said it had recorded 656 suspected cases of measles in 21 local government areas of the state.
The Executive Secretary, State Primary Health Care and Development Agency, Dr Mannir Jega, who described the figure as alarming, said it was largely due to refusal of residents to go for routine immunisation.
The executive secretary said at a news briefing in Birnin Kebbi, that the state had recorded poor coverage due to low turnout for routine immunizations in previous campaigns in 2016.
“We have 656 Measles cases in the 21 LGAs in the state, out of which 77 cases had been confirmed in 12 LGAs and the victims were treated and discharged,” he said.
The Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Usman Kambaza, revealed that 1,131 vaccination teams would be deployed to undertake immunisation to counter the upsurge of measles cases across the state.
“To counter this, the state is planning measles campaign with the support of the National Primary Health Care and Development Agency and other partners.
“The campaign is expected to start on Sept. 26, and about 898,174 children are expected to be vaccinated.
“The vaccination is for all children from 9 months to 5 years irrespective of vaccination status,” he said.
Kambaza explained that vaccinators would be stationed at specific locations closed to residences in all the 225 wards in the state, adding that “no caregiver will travel more than one kilometre to get their children vaccinated.”
The commissioner urged the media, traditional and religious leaders, and other stakeholders to join in mobilizing women and caregivers to come out en-mass for the measles immunisation
