By Aliyu Bala Gerengi, Gombe
The Gombe State Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, has launched a Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination (MNTE) campaign targeting women of reproductive age across the state.
The campaign is aimed at eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus through sustained vaccination, public awareness and improved access to preventive healthcare services.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, the Director of Disease Control in the State Ministry of Health, Dr Mustapha Musa Abdullahi, commended participants and partner organisations for their continued efforts towards eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus.
Dr Abdullahi said the campaign would help strengthen community-level interventions against the disease, urging stakeholders to sustain vaccination and awareness activities.
The representative of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Umar Shehu Ahmad, assured the state of the agency’s continued support and cooperation, while calling for sustainability of the exercise.
Also speaking, the World Health Organisation (WHO) representative, Dr Abdulganiyu Giwa, urged women between the ages of 15 and 49 to cooperate with health workers and make themselves available for the vaccination exercise.
A State Consultant with the Christian Health Association of Nigeria, Emily Madina, called on schools, households and other community stakeholders to support health workers in reaching the targeted population.
Earlier, the State Immunization Officer, Abdulkarim Aliyu, highlighted achievements recorded in immunisation across Gombe State, as well as challenges confronting the programme, including inadequate skilled birth attendants in some communities.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Abdulrahman Shuaibu, disclosed that the MNTE campaign would be implemented in five Local Government Areas of the state.
He listed the participating local governments as Shongom, Billiri, Kwami, Nafada and Funakaye.
Dr Shuaibu urged parents and guardians to provide the necessary support and cooperation to health workers during the exercise, assuring residents that the vaccine is safe and poses no harm to those receiving it.
He called on communities to take advantage of the campaign and support efforts to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus from Gombe State.
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