9 September 2008
At Bama local government area of Borno State,the polio vaccination exercise started quite early and several women were sighted at the primary health care centres voluntarily joining others for the exercise.
World Health Organisation (WHO) Consultant, Dr Mohammed Said who was overseeing the exercise in Bama told Daily Trust that there had been progress in getting the people to accept the vaccine since the exercise commenced in the area.
Mohammed explained that a lot of advocacy work had taken place wherein they had to educate and sensitize the district heads, imams, traditional rulers and influential youths who had control over their peers to understand the importance of the vaccine in saving the lives of children.
Speaking on efforts of the implementing agencies: WHO, the National Primary Health care Development Agency, the state and other donor agencies, to reduce the non compliance syndrome, Mohammed said all influential persons were brought on board but lamented that despite the pains of striving to succeed the non compliance level in the state was still quite high.
According to him, it becomes worst when one religious leader, Mohammed Yusuf goes around town during his campaign condemning the exercise and all those who allow their children to receive the vaccine.
"Sometimes we would have achieved a lot of success but immediately after the sect 's sermon, people would start rejecting the drugs and we would start all over again. This has always been a major setback, the lives of our children, our future leaders is at stake, we are simply jeopardizing it by refusing to immunize our children against these virus killing, and deforming our children. But we will not relent in our efforts, some other leaders have joined the campaign, and are on their own talking to their people on the importance of receiving the vaccine'.
Mohammed commended the efforts of the Shehu of Bama, who he said personally flagged the exercise off and ordered and insisted that all residents and dwellers in the land ensure that they are not missed out.
Recalling an incident in which the Shehu himself had intervened when one of his subordinates had refused to comply, the WHO consultant said, the Shehu had himself entered into the compound and produced all the children to be vaccinated.
In another case he had threatened to send them on exile if they failed to comply.
Mohammed added that these methods went a long way in encouraging the indigenes to comply and that this reduced the non compliance level in the state. He added that in places like Kasulgula and Shehuri where the non compliance was quite high, vehicles were hired days before the exercise to begin sensitizing the people and reminding them about the importance of the drug and telling them to make their children available.
He added that one man told him to his face that the vaccines are suspicious His words, '"The man told me the government has never cared, or done me or my family any favours. Why will they start now, bringing drugs to my house is too good to be true, my children will not take it, am sure they want to kill my children."
Mohammed continued, "Others stone you, chase you away and even insult you, some still say it's a drug to reduce fertility, while others say it is meant to shorten your lifespan."
He said however that the non compliance is gradually dropping.
Other strategies to reduce the non compliance include using sweets to lure the children from their hiding places to collect the vaccine, distributing mosquito nets to homes and recruiting specialists to work in places of high non compliance.
Wards classified as high risk areas in Bama include Kasuwa, Abbaram, Modu Kimeri, Kulbur A, B and C, Gazamburu, Anchika and Andara.
The state technical facilitator said for the past one year, the non compliance had reduced especially in the rural communities where people made themselves very accessible to the vaccinators and health workers.
According to him the greatest challenge is the Borno metropolis inhabited by the elite who feel they are very knowledgeable.
The state director of primary health care, Alhaji Tahiru Dori said government would deal with low compliance in the metropolis by deploying all health workers in the state to the Maidugiri Metropolis to cover every nook and cranny.
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