Dr. Uche Uzochukwu is Enugu State Commissioner for Health and one of the technocrats in the State Executive Council (SEC). The medical doctor recently granted an interview to journalists before flag-off of the second round of National Immunisation Plus Days (NIPD) exercise in the state. Here are excerpts from the interview as captured by Reporter Emmanuel Nzomiwu

Enugu State is about embarking on another round of immunisation exercise. Can you brief us on what the programme is all about?

As you are all aware, the second round of the National Immunisation Plus Day (NIPD) will start tomorrow with a flag-off across the country which is expected to last up till March 9, 2010. Here in Enugu, we are expecting Her Excellency, wife of the governor of Enugu State, Mrs. Clara Chibuzo Chime, to perform the flag-off exercise. This is as a result of the importance attached to this exercise. As you may very well know, in immunisation exercise, we have the routine immunisation and the supplemental immunisation activities.

What do you mean by routine immunisation?

Routine immunisation refers to immunisation given to eligible age groups, age group of children less than one year and women of childbearing age during regular visit to the health facilities. Routine immunisation activities in the state has progressively improved, as we have been repositioned to implement programmes which will improve the quality of services offered to all eligible age groups. This includes training of health workers. Every month, we build the capacities of our LIOs (Local Immunisation Officers) and JSNAOs. Last month we trained about 180 health facility workers from the district health authorities in Enugu State. We also conduct intensive monitoring and supervision in the wards and health facilities with the overall aim of improving immunisation coverage in the state. Enugu State, as you may be aware, has maintained the 5th to 7th position in the country as per the national feedback on coverage of key routine immunisation in the country. The number of planned immunisation sections versus the number conducted both at fixed and outreach centres are quite encouraging in the state. By national rating, Enugu is one of the states with low drop out rate and number of unimmunised children.

What about supplemental immunisation?

Supplemental immunisation activities which are carried out as ad-hocs to supplement the routine immunisation include Immunisation Plus Days (IPDs), the Child Health Week and the Local Immunisation Days (LIDs). Enugu was among the states that conducted the Child Health Week by December 2009. This Child Week is an integrated approach that refers to weeklong events organised to deliver an integrated package of preventive services known to be highly cost effective, yet result oriented for improving maternal and child health that are run in conjunction with routine services and health facilities. It is a key element of the efforts to achieve the fourth goal of the MDGs, which of course is the reduction of child mortality. And the MDG goals are expected to be achieved by the year 2015. The overall objective of the child health week is to achieve mortality and morbidity in mothers and children less than five years of age in Nigeria. In Enugu, interventions carried out included among other things, immunisation services for the under fives and pregnant women. Distribution of insecticide treated nets, distribution of de-worming tablets to children and distribution of anti-malaria drugs, and health education of the people. The implementation of the whole exercise was very satisfactory. For IPD's, Enugu State also conducted a national plus day in January this year. That was the first round of the NIPD. The second round of the exercise would be conducted from March 6 - 9, 2010. The first round like I said earlier was flagged off by Her Excellency, the wife of the governor and it is expected that she will do the flag off of this second round. And the venue of the event will be at the Enugu South Local Government headquarters.