By Grace Ben Kato
Journalists from 26 states in Nigeria, recently converged on Abuja for a one-day orientation meeting for the 2024 Integrated Supplement Immunisation Activities (SIAs), with commitment to support all efforts in recognising the critical role of vaccination in preventing and controlling vaccine-preventable diseases.
The Journalists, drawn from broadcast, print and online media, also committed to support efforts to address vaccine hesitancy and misinformation, amplify messages on the importance of vaccination and disseminate accurate and timely information on SIAs schedules and locations.
The orientation meeting, which was organised by National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), in collaboration with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and other partners, is aimed at sensitising the media on the 2024 SIAs campaign, identify their roles and responsibilities and ro secure their commitment for the project.
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Participants, who were taken through the “overview of the 2024 integrated SIAs and “Roles of Medis in creating awareness and mobilisation for the Integrated SIAs- Key messages and actions for media”, by Njideka Iweala-Oshioke, the Non Polio Supplement Immunisation Activities (NPSIA) and Advocacy Communication and Social Mobilisation (ACSM), team lead and Mr Kenneth Audu, the UNICEF Social Behavioural Change (SBC), consultant, deliberated on the importance and life-saving benefits of vaccines, as well as the modalities of the campaign and appreciated the need for the Integrated SIAs in the 26 states.
While commending NPHCDA and partners for prioritizing the states for the campaign, participants supported the strategy for the campaign and emphasis that advocacy and effective information dissemination would contribute to attaining good coverage during the campaigns.
They however, recommend that NPHCDA, conduct advocacy with support and in collaboration with key stakeholders, ensure timely and accurate dissemination of information to support communication and social motivation for all groups, provide adequate personnel for the campaigns, support training and capacity building for relevant stakeholders and promote injection safety, quality and timely response to all Adverse Events Following Immunisation ( AEFI) cases that may arise.
It was also recommended that adequate plans for the disposal of waste during campaign are made, endorse and implement all recommendations from lessons learned from the previous campaigns for improved program management.
The one-day meeting which had participants from Anambra, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Cross Rivers, Delta, Edo, Lagos, Rivers, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Benue, FCT, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Zamfara, Yobe and Brono states, noted that the media, had the capability of reaching out to a large population of people simultaneously even as people depend on the media for information, education and guidance during public health emergency.
They role of the media in Integrated vaccination campaign, it said, create awareness and demand for the vaccines, educate the public on the risks of non vaccination and the benefits of vaccines, build public trust and confidence in the vaccination and other Primary Healthcare intervention, promote vaccine acceptance, promote investment in Immunisation programmes by Government, Philanthropists and the private sector.
It however, charged the media not to carry false stories, ensure their source of information is reliable, credible, accurate, evidence driven, timeless, ensure responsibility and avoid sensationalism.
NPHCDA, has continued to provide purposeful and innovative leadership in ensuring successful vaccination campaign across the country. As part of the efforts to improve national confidence in the vaccine and promote its demand across the country, NPHCDA, said there is the need to speak to misleading information that could pose a critical threat to global health and lead to public health crisis by worsening diseases spread and overwhelming Healthcare systems.
The meeting was also set to align ways media personnel will successfully contribute to giving the public the right information on vaccine preventable diseases, with a goal to improve nation confidence and increase the demand for Integrated SIAs in Nigeria.
