Bauchi strategizes against measles outbreak, urges media to sensitize the public

By Samuel Luka,
Bauchi

Bauchi state Primary Health Care Development Board (BSPHCDA) has disclosed that it is strategizing to curtail the annual outbreak of measles in the state.

The Executive Chairman of the Board, Dr. Rilwanu Muhammad who stated this while addressing newsmen at a Bi-annual media engagement with journalists in Bauchi recently, announced that the board is also planning to hold breastfeeding week in August.

Dr. Muhammad who stated that if a child is fully vaccinated against measles, the disease will not have serious negative impact on him upon infection, added that the Board is fully prepared to carry out a lot of activities to fight outbreak of diseases.

He said that the measles campaign strategy is coming up in August or October 1st, adding that the Bauchi state government is aiming at curtailing the annual outbreak of measles.

The BSPHDB Executive Chairman noted that the media engagement would also look at how the Board has contained disease outbreaks with support from the government and partners.

“We are going to also talk about the community engagement strategy in which we are actually doing in Bauchi state and one of the community engagement strategy is the establishment of Bauchi State Emirate Council on Health as headed by the Emir of Dass.

“We sits down and design activities to reach everywhere, particularly those people that are rejecting vaccination, issues around maternal and health care nutrition”, Dr Rilwanu Muhammad said.

He said, within the last six months, the Board developed zero dose strategy for those zero dose LGAs to include market vaccination, naming ceremony vaccination, other vaccinations like, CMAM.

“During the time, we give them RUTF and we vaccinate the children to reduce the zero dose that is happening in Bauchi state”.

He said that the media has always been involved in the Board’s activities with a view to helping it improve its services.

While acknowledging the role of media in informing the public about prevention of outbreak that mainly occurred in Bauchi, particularly measles outbreak, Dr. Muhammad said Measles outbreak has been occuring year after year because some people don’t take the vaccination.

“At 9 months they collect measles and yellow fever vaccination and the booster doses at one or two months after. The children are not taking the first dose talk less of second dose because when they finish all the vaccination, they miss some, penter three and then they forget about the 9 month vaccination”, he lamented.

Dr. Muhammad called on the media practitioners to inform the public that the disease that causes a lot of havoc in Bauchi is measles, with record of both mortality and morbidity.

“It has been killing our children and there is vaccination for it, let them get their children vaccinated”, he appealed.