The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) with support from MacArthur Foundation implements “Public Education on COVID19 Vaccine Project”, with aims to create awareness on efficacy of COVID19 vaccine as well as enlightening the public on misinformation, disinformation and false narratives being shared on the vaccine.
To understand challenges and hindrances associated with administration of the vaccine, CITAD held an engagement with Executive Secretaries of Primary Health Care Development Agencies from 19 northern states in Abuja.
During the meeting various hindrances and challenges related to the vaccination exercise were identified and debated on, recommendations to mitigate the challenges were offered in order to boost uptake of the vaccine. Notable among the challenges are stated as follows:
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1. Lack of political will, commitment and the needed support to Primary Health Care Development Agencies
2. Poor knowledge of vaccine storage, usage, expiration, etc
3. High deployment of vaccination personnel in urban areas at the expense of rural areas
4. Non supply of vaccines on time
5. Technical failure in capturing people’s data
6. Depositing vaccination funds at State Ministries of Health rather than Primary Health Care Development Agencies
7. Exclusion of marginalized groups in the vaccination chain
8. Inaccessibility of vaccination funds as a result of not centralizing the funding source
9. Conducting vaccination in security affected states and areas
10. Transportation of the vaccines and vaccination personnel to hard-to-reach areas
11. Delay and nonpayment of allowances of the vaccination personnel
12. Health care workers hesitancy to towards COVID19 vaccine
13. Absence of performance and reward mechanism on vaccination exercise at federal, state and local government levels
14. Passing information and communication in a fragmented manner to Primary Health Care Development Agencies
After extensive deliberations at the meeting, stakeholders recommended various measures to mitigate the challenges. Hamza Ibrahim, Coordinator, Public Education on COVID19 Vaccine Project, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) noted the organization has outlined the following;
1. Call on state governors to demonstrate strong political will and commitment to addressing the myriad of challenges that bedevilling the mass vaccination efforts
2. Communication among healthcare agencies in the states should be coordinated and centralized.
3. States should leverage social gatherings such as markets, ceremonies should be targeted for mass vaccination
4. State governments should identify hard-to-reach areas and treat them with logistical peculiarities they possess
5. Payments of allowances of vaccination personnel should be given priority and always be made on time, nonpayment of past allowances of the personnel should be settled immediately
6. Senior officers such as Directors should be engaged in the vaccination exercise and be made to handle certain areas and be rotated at not more than two weeks interval
7. Marginalized groups should be specifically targeted in the vaccination exercise
8. The adhoc staff engaged in the vaccination exercise should be continuously trained on the vaccine
9. There should be a blueprint detailing reward and punishment for the vaccination personnel
10. Healthcare workers should be provided with motivation packages to encourage them be active and committed in the COVID19 vaccination exercise.
