DTSG Flags-Off 2019 Annual Immunization Against Rabies …..Launching Measles Vaccine Second Dose

ASABA/Nigeria: In pursuance of a stronger Delta agenda and the promotion of Public Health in the State, the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources has flagged off the 2019 Annual Immunization Against Rabies in dogs and cats in Asaba.

Performing the flag off, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Hon. Julius Egbedi stated that the programme became necessary in order to forestall the outbreak of various animal diseases such as rabies in dogs and cats.

According to Hon Egbedi, “The saying, prevention is better than cure stems from the fact that it is economically cheaper and less stressful to prevent disease from occurring than to treat,” saying one of the ways to achieving this was by immunizing healthy animal.

Hon. Egbedi explained that an animal is said to be immunized when the antigens introduced into the body through vaccination  has produced enough immunoglobulins to interact with any invading antigen and render it ineffective, which is common with infections caused by viruses, saying this way the immune system is built up and resistance to invading microbes is develop and sustained.

The Agriculture commissioner said rabies is a contagious and highly fatal zoonotic disease of dog, cats, man and other animals and it infection is through bite and saliva of infected dog or certain special of wild bat.

He explained the characteristic of the disease to include aggressiveness, heavy salivation, restlessness and general change in behaviour which is seen as ‘mad dog’ syndrome.

The commissioner who thanked the state government for providing fund for the programme annually called on members of the public especially dog owners in the state to take advantage of the free vaccination which started from Monday November 18, 2019 and will end on Saturday November 30, 2019, to immunize their animals at veterinary clinics and rural areas across the state, saying that the flag-off will also take place in all the LGAs headquarters of the state.

He also advised that any incidence of dog bite should be reported to the nearest veterinary clinic to enable doctors take necessary action while the victim is taken to the nearest human hospital for appropriate care even as he urged government officials engaged in the exercise to stick to the highest professional ethics to restore public confidence in service delivery and justify expended fund.

Speaking at the event, the Director of Veterinary, Dr David Diai said that rabies is a disease that is known world-wide and is endemic in Nigeria, saying that the World celebrated World Rabies Day every October 28 and the theme for this years’ celebration is “Vaccinate to Eliminate.”

Dr Diai stated that World Health Organization (WHO) has proposed to eradicate rabies by the year 2030, even as he urged all stakeholders to put hand on deck by regularly immunizing their dogs and cats to achieve the eradication of this deadly disease by the year 2030.

Present at the occasion were the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Sir Austin Oghoro, directors in the ministry among others

The highpoint of the event was the flag-off and the immunization of the dogs by the Commissioner for Agric, Hon. Julius Egbedi and the Permanent Secretary, Sir Austin Oghoro.

… Measles Vaccine Second Dose

Meanwhile, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has described immunization as the leading edge of providing life saving interventions with capacity to reducing child mortality.

Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa made this known in Ogwashi- Uku Aniocha South Local Government Area during the launch of measles containing vaccine second dose MCV2, into National Routine Immunisation schedule.

The governor stated that the was safe and free, calling on members of the public call two toll free numbers, 08034629038 and 08023475645 to report cases of monetary charges for the immunization and health centres across The state not open for duty,adding that all health workers should always wear their uniforms at work.

The governor who was represented by the Hon. Commissioner for Health, Dr Ononye Mordi said the exercise which would run from November 18-23 2019, is being introduced by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency following an observation that some children came down with measles after Dose One of the Measles Vaccine administered at the age of nine months

He said that the Immunisation exercise, would be for children aged between 15-23 months, and would take place in the 440 Primary Health Care Centres across the state, urging traditional, religious and community leaders to take ownership of the programme.

“To see themselves as co-labourers in our goal to improve the health indices of our children, by sensitizing mothers and caregivers in markets, church and communities on the importance of immunization and the need to retain the child health card,” he said.

On his part, the Aniocha South Chairman Hon. Chief Isaac Anwuzie represented by the supervisory councillor of health Hon. Leonard Nzemeka said Measles was an acute and highly infectious disease, known to be one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among children under 5 years of age.

Hon. Anwuzia said globally an estimated 246 children died every day from measles, with the majority coming from Africa, while Nigeria had an annual record of 17,000 cases with a death rate of between 1.9 percent and 12.4 percent.

He assured the commitment of the local government area to the provision of basic health care services to the citizens as the council has dedicated health workers.

The Executive Director of the primary health care development agency Dr. Winful Orieke Jude pointed out that immunization had resulted in 84 percent reduction in measles related deaths from the year 2000 – 2016, stressing that the introduced Dose 2 would further protect children aged 0-23 months from measles attack.

He allayed fears of reaction to the vaccine, insisting that the reaction was nothing compared to the complications that not being immunized could cause, including deafness, blindness, pneumonia and death.

In their separate goodwill messages, Representatives of world Health organization (WHO), UNICEF, AFENET congratulated the state for the launch of measles containing vaccine second dose.

They commended the state governor for his prompt releases of Government counterpart fund and establishment of Basic health care provision fund in the state.

The highpoint of the launch was the vaccination of children by the Governor and other partners present.