By Fasilat Lawal
The Paediatric Association of Nigeria in collaboration with the International Paediatric Association has organised an immunisation community outreach programme in Ibadan, aimed at strengthening advocacy for child vaccination and ensuring that no child is left unvaccinated, particularly at the grassroots level.
The sensitisation programme, held at Delesolu Compound in Oje, Ibadan, targeted market women from Oje Market as part of efforts to increase awareness on the importance of routine immunisation and the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine for girls.
Speaking during the outreach, one of the Immunisation Champions and a Consultant Paediatrician at the Institute of Child Health, University College Hospital, Dr Folunsho Balogun, said the campaign became necessary in view of the alarming number of children who had either never received vaccines or failed to complete their immunisation schedules.
According to her, more than two million children in Oyo State have reportedly never received a single dose of vaccine, while many others remain under-immunised, thereby exposing them to preventable diseases, disability, and untimely death.
“That means they have never had any immunisation before in their lives, and that should not be,” she stated.
Dr Balogun identified myths and misconceptions surrounding vaccines as major factors discouraging many parents from presenting their children for immunisation.
She therefore urged parents and guardians to seek information only from verified health sources and ensure that children between infancy and 14 years receive all recommended vaccines, including the HPV vaccine for girls, to protect them against cervical cancer.
Also speaking, a Consultant Paediatrician at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Dr Bukola Sayomi, explained that administering the HPV vaccine to girls aged nine to 14 years was essential in preventing cervical cancer later in life.
She said vaccinating girls at an early age before sexual exposure would significantly reduce the burden of cervical cancer among women and called on stakeholders to support awareness campaigns and vaccine uptake.
Similarly, a nurse and health educator with the Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, Mrs Funmilayo Abodunrin, lamented the low uptake of the HPV vaccine among girls within the target age group at primary healthcare facilities across the state.
She, however, reassured parents that the vaccine is safe and certified by relevant health authorities and development partners.
In his remarks, the Babaloja of Oje Market, Mr Soliu DeleSolu, described the outreach programme as timely and essential.
He commended PAN for taking the campaign directly to the community, noting that the initiative would help traders, especially women, make informed decisions that would keep their children healthy and protected from preventable diseases.
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