As the World Health Organization marks the World Immunization Week, it is imperative to underscore the importance of immunization, especially given the UN’s investments in member countries.
In this report, C-Advocate x-ray’s the efforts made by the Imo state government led by Gov. Hope Uzodinma in the area of child care viz-à-viz provision of facilities and the enabling services for child immunization.
In recent times, the Uzodinma-led Imo State government has implemented a multi-pronged approach to child immunization, leveraging partnerships, technology, and policy reforms.
Governor Uzodinma’s administration has prioritized enhancing immunization services through Local Government Area (LGA) stakeholders’ engagement meetings.
These collaborations focus on improving vaccine distribution networks, addressing logistical challenges, and ensuring community participation in immunization drives.
The state’s Mobile Health Insurance Programme, launched in 2020 with WHO support, indirectly supports immunization by reducing financial barriers to healthcare access.
By covering 96% of the informal sector, the scheme enables families to seek preventive services, including vaccinations, without incurring out-of-pocket expenses.
As part of its efforts, the government collaborated with the U.S. Embassy to scale up COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, demonstrating a model for public-private partnerships in immunization.
While initially targeting adults, this framework could be adapted for pediatric vaccination initiatives, available without charge at Primary Health Centers (PHCs) across the state.
Recall that the governor and his wife publicly received COVID-19 vaccinations, setting an example for health compliance.
This visibility campaign helps build public trust in immunization programs, which is critical for childhood vaccine acceptance.
It is instructive to note that the administration has committed to overhauling Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs), which serve as the backbone for immunization services.
Efforts include improving infrastructure, staffing, and supply chains to ensure reliable vaccine delivery.
Also, strengthening emergency preparedness and disease surveillance systems has been prioritized.
This includes training healthcare workers and upgrading facilities to handle vaccine storage and outbreak responses effectively.
Imo State developed a Health Financing Policy and operational guidelines for its insurance scheme with WHO assistance.
These documents provide a roadmap for sustainable funding of immunization programs within the broader Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda.
The LGA stakeholder meetings emphasize grassroots involvement, ensuring immunization campaigns are culturally sensitive and address local concerns. This approach helps combat vaccine hesitancy and improves coverage rates.
The mobile health insurance platform demonstrates the state’s commitment to digital solutions and similar technology could be deployed for immunization registries, appointment reminders, and coverage tracking.
C-Advocate therefore calls on parents to avail their children of free vaccination in public health facilities across the state. Together, we can build a disease-free system or, at the least, reduce communicable diseases to a barest minimum.