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Immunization: EU-SIGN distributes 44 solar-powered freezers to Kwara LGs
The European Union Support to Routine Immunization Governance Project in Nigeria (EU-SIGN) have distributed 44 solar-powered freezers across seven local government areas of Kwara State.
Dr Patient Folorunsho, Executive Secretary of Primary Healthcare at Kwara Ministry of Health, stated this on Saturday in Ilorin, during a Support Organizational and Capacity Building for Wards and Village Development Committees, organized by the EU-SIGN project.
Folorunsho stated that there were challenges in sustaining the potency and lifespan for immunization vaccines in the state and these challenges was as a result of incessant power-outage.
She added that distribution of the solar-powered freezers were based on assessment earlier carried out by the organization across the 16 LGs and 193 wards of Kwara.
According to the Primary Health Care expert, the timely intervention of EU-SIGN has afforded seven local government the benefits of solar-powered freezers that will help save potency and lifespan of vaccine immunization for lives of Kwara children.
She listed the LGs to includes Isin, Kaiama, Offa, Irepodun, Ifelodun, Baruten and Edu LGs.
“Due to series of challenges faced because of lack of power supply, the vaccines giving can lose its potency and efficacy.
“Even when generator or kerosene powered freezers were used, the cost of fuel still became a challenge for the local government wards to handle, but now utilization of solar is helping a lot to keep the vaccines intact,” she said.
Folorunsho appealed to the ward development committees as well as the village development committees to make judicious use of the solar powered freezers and ensure all children were properly immunized.
According to her, immunization is the starting point for primary health care services, warning them the failure to act accordingly will result in children being infected with epidemic diseases.
Also speaking at the event, Dr Issa Yusuf, EU-SIGN State Technical Assistant, told the ward and village development committees that the issue of primary health care lacks enough sensitization.
He said children and pregnant women were dying needlessly due to mundane things and that the right efforts will go a long way to save lives.
He described primary health care as essential health care based on practical, scientifically sound and socially acceptable methods.
He added that it must be technology and universally accessible to individuals and families in their communities with their full participation.
During his lecture presentation, Dr Michael Oguntoye, Director of Primary Health Care of Kwara Ministry of Health, told the committees that community participation would increase immunization program acceptance and ownership among people in a community.
He however lamented that some challenges peculiar to Nigeria hinder effective community participation.
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