Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) held a virtual engagement with stakeholders on public education on COVID-19 vaccine to enlighten the general public on the importance of COVID-19 vaccination with support of MacArthur foundation.
Stakeholders in attendance, that deliberated on the challenges hindering COVID-19 vaccine included Dr. Mainasra Kurfi (Head of department of mass communication, BUK), Honorable Jafar Muhmmad Zuru (Commissioner of health, Kebbi state) Dr. Ma’awuya Aliu (Director public health, Katsina state ministry of health) and Dr. Hasan Shuaibu Musa (Principal medical officer).
Dr. Mainsara kurfi, moderator of the event explained on why people reject Covid-19 vaccination, disclosing that management, traditional and technical challenges are the factors impeding COVID-19 vaccination.
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Dr. Hassan who discussed on the factors that encumbers COVID-19 vaccination stressed that 15 million have not been vaccinated out of 22 million of Nigeria population.
“There is more to achieve, the issues are technical and non-technical saying there is issues of there is issues of vaccine transportation and maintenance, information”.
“About 80% of people in Bauchi are not ready to take vaccine due to cultural issues, government should have a policy on COVID-19 vaccination under communicable diseases, while considering the social behaviors of Nigerians”. He said.
He added that “Misinformation has to be tackled and targeted sensitization should be embraced. Media, Stakeholders, CSOs need to create awareness to educate the public on the Covid-19 vaccination, also supply chain and demand chain should be explored and also communication plan should be on local dialects of the people”.
Dr. Maawuyi Aliyu DPH Katsina, said “Prior to covid19 they are a lot of suspicions and rumors on who are vulnerable to the virus, currently Nigeria has very low target rate of vaccine, while only few African countries produce vaccines”.
He stresses “There is low distribution of vaccine and people are having the idea that the vaccine is not for common people, they should be high level of commitment and adequate funding to aid in vaccinating people”
“They should be involvement of traditional rulers and religious clerics most especially in northern Nigeria, to engage and counsel the people, top to bottom approach should be adopted for adequate information channeling” He said.
Discussing on the strategy used on COVID-19 vaccination, Dr. Hassan said Bauchi state has recorded success, recalling that the has confirmed 1,935 cases of COVID-19, 34,104 samples with positivity rate of 5.7 percent, noted that Bauchi state have not recorded COVID-19 case since 2nd of February till date out of 1,844 samples taken.
“Totally we have identified 82 percent cases of Covid-19 in Bauchi state are from a particular zone which comprises of 8 local government areas, which are all in Bauchi south senatorial zone which account for 24percent also Bauchi north and central have 16 percent”
Participants who attended the virtual meeting commended the effort of CITAD and MacAthur towards leveraging with people and engaging grassroots level towards ensuring achieving positive result.
Allhaji Abdullahi Kangiwa in his goodwill message appreciated CITAD on its efforts towards sensitizing people on the effect of Covid-19 by ensuring eligible targeted audience received their notifications without regarding their social status.
In closing remarks by Hamza Ibrahim, project Manager of CITAD, extol both participants and stakeholders on their efforts towards ensuring the conversation on educating public on COVID-19 vaccine.
