The wife of Abia State governor, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, has charged critical stakeholders to ensure that the state oncoming Measles-Rubella vaccination campaign in the state gets to the grassroot.
The stakeholders include wives of the mayors of Local Government Areas, and community leaders, among others.
In a meeting with the stakeholders in Umuahia, the state capital, on Friday, Mrs. Otti, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr Mrs. Maureen Arungwa said, “As wives of mayors, I am giving you these responsibilities, and it is my expectation that you will carry them out diligently. I urge you to mobilize mothers, caregivers, and parents for the flag-off ceremony.
“Kindly advocate for support from your husbands, the mayors, traditional rulers, stakeholders, and faith-based organizations in your locality to ensure proper sensitization activities and smooth implementation of this project in your LGAs. You need to participate actively in the monitoring and supervision of the vaccination campaign at the LGA level”.
She further pleaded, “As mothers, community leaders, and role models, we have a shared responsibility to protect the health of our children. Too many lives have been lost to vaccine-preventable diseases, and we cannot allow misinformation to stand in the way of a healthier future for our children.
“The Measles-Rubella vaccine is safe, effective, and saves lives. Yet, we continue to face resistance due to myths, fear, and misinformation. Misinformation has become a major obstacle. Some people are spreading false claims that the vaccine causes infertility, that it is part of a sinister agenda, or that children do not need it. These are lies. The truth is that millions of children around the world have been safely vaccinated, and it is because of vaccination that measles and rubella have been drastically reduced in many countries.
“That is why we are gathered here today – to equip you, the stakeholders, including the wives of mayors and community leaders, with the right information to take back to your communities. Your voices carry influence, and we need your leadership to correct the falsehoods that are preventing families from vaccinating their children”.
Earlier in their speeches, the Director of the state Primary Healthcare Agency, Dr. Kalu Kalu, and the state Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, who was represented by his Permanent Secretary, Chris Onwuegbu said the essence of the meeting was to learn about the diseases and how vaccination can prevent them and urged participants “to do all possible to cascade the campaign down to the grassroot”.
