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Tag: UNICEF

  • UNICEF set to vaccinate 4.7million children against measles in Nigeria

    UNICEF set to vaccinate 4.7million children against measles in Nigeria

    In a major vaccination campaign concluding this week, 4.7 million children are being vaccinated in response to a measles outbreak in northeast Nigeria.

    The campaign is covering the three states most affected by the Boko Haram conflict – Adamawa, Borno and Yobe – where insecurity has limited vaccination efforts. In 2016, there were approximately 25,000 cases of measles among children in Nigeria; 97 per cent of the cases were in children under the age of ten and at least a hundred children died.

    “Security has improved in some areas so we have acted quickly to access places we could not previously reach and protect children from the spread of a very dangerous disease”, said Mohamed Fall, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria. “We are still extremely concerned about children living in large areas of Borno state that are not yet accessible.”

    Measles infections tend to increase during the first half of the year because of higher temperatures. Measles vaccination coverage across Nigeria remains low, with a little over 50 per cent of children reached, but in areas affected by conflict, children are particularly vulnerable.

    The risks for malnourished children who have weakened immunity are further heightened. The conflict and resulting displacement have left more than 4.4 million children in Nigeria in need of humanitarian assistance, with an estimated 450,000 children likely to suffer from Severe Acute Malnutrition in 2017.

    The vaccination campaign, conducted in partnership with the Nigerian government, WHO, and several non-governmental organizations, also includes a vitamin A supplement for children under five to boost their immunity as well as de-worming tablets. Most of the funding for the campaign was provided by the Measles and Rubella Initiative.

    The campaign is part of UNICEF’s wider emergency health response in the three northeast Nigerian states. In partnership with Nigerian authorities, UNICEF has provided primary health care services for both internally displaced persons and the vulnerable host communities within which they have sought shelter.

    Health clinics have been rehabilitated, damage from the fighting has been repaired and temporary clinics have been set up, equipped and stocked in camps for the displaced, reaching more than 4.2 million people with services that include routine vaccination, ante-natal care and midwifery support, and treatment for common illnesses such as malaria, diarrhoea and pneumonia, as well as measles.

    UNICEF has trained more than 1,000 health workers on emergency primary health care services; in areas that have become accessible more recently to humanitarian workers, UNICEF has recruited 60 nurse-midwives and deployed six doctors to strengthen health services.

    The emergency in northeast Nigeria remains acute with more than 1.6 million people displaced because of the conflict. Although UNICEF has made significant progress in reaching children and their families with healthcare, treatment for malnutrition, safe water, sanitation and hygiene services, education and child protection, a persistent lack of funding continues to hamper the response effort. Of the US$115 million called for in 2016, only US$51 million was received; in 2017, UNICEF is seeking 150 million to respond to the urgent humanitarian needs in northeast Nigeria.

     

  • WHO vaccinates 4 million children in north-eastern Nigeria

    ImageFile: WHO vaccinates 4 million children in north-eastern NigeriaThe World Health Organization (WHO) has said it is kicking off a mass vaccination campaign to protect more than 4 million children against a measles outbreak in conflict-affected states in north-eastern Nigeria this week.

    The two-week campaign, which starts on 13 January, will target all children aged from 6 months to 10 years in accessible areas in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States.

    “This measles vaccination campaign is an emergency intervention to protect more than 4 million children against a highly contagious and sometimes deadly disease,” says Dr Wondimagegnehu Alemu, WHO Representative in Nigeria.

    From early September to 18 December 2016, WHO-established Early Warning, Alert and Response System (EWARS) reported more than 1500 suspected measles cases in Borno State alone. More than 77% of children aged less than 5 years in Borno State have never received the measles vaccine and this is the age group where most cases have occurred, the EWARS report stated.

    “Massive disruption to health services in conflict-affected areas for many years has deprived these children of essential childhood vaccinations. In addition, many of them have severe malnutrition, making them extremely vulnerable to serious complications and death from measles,” the Nigerian WHO representative said.

    WHO is supporting the 3 state Primary Healthcare Development Agencies (PHCDA) to prepare for the campaign; working with partners including UNICEF, the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other health nongovernmental organizations.

    The Borno State Ministry of Health, with support from WHO and partners, has already vaccinated more than 83,000 children aged 6 months to 15 years living in camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) where measles cases had been reported, with WHO saying these campaigns have started to show results, with a reduction of measles cases around the camps.

    Measles is a highly contagious, serious disease that is one of the leading causes of death in young children. In 2015, there were more than 134,000 measles deaths globally; most of them were in children aged less than 5 years.

    The humanitarian crisis caused by conflict in Borno State has resulted in more than 1.4 million IDPs living in more than 100 camps, amongst a host population of about 4.3 million people.

    During 2000-2015, measles vaccination prevented an estimated 20.3 million deaths making measles vaccination one of the best buys in public health.

  • Senate seek out media support on malnutrition enlightenment

    Senate seek out media support on malnutrition enlightenment

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Dr Lanre Tejuoso, has solicited media support on the ongoing campaign against malnutrition in the country.

    According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Tejuoso made the appeal in an interview in Abuja on Tuesday on the sideline of a two-day workshop on effective media engagement in the fight against malnutrition. He said: “The media should help us achieve what is being achieved in the fight against polio.

    “When we had two cases of polio in North East, funds were immediately mobilised, because the media make so much noise about it.”

    The chairman noted that polio was currently receiving so much attention and money compared to malnutrition that is killing 1,500 children daily.

    “Polio is not killing anybody, but malnutrition that is killing our children daily is not receiving the desired attention polio is receiving.

    “We need the media to help us change the shape and size of malnutrition in the country through investigative reportage on how malnutrition is silently killing children across the country,” he said.

    He said that the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has proposed to take care of 600,000 children out of the 2.5 million acute malnourished children in the country in 2017.

    He added that the UN body took care of 400,000 last year, stressing that the country needs N95 billion to take care of the remaining 1.9 million children to ensure their survival.

    “Currently, it cost an average of N50,000 to take care of one malnourished child in a year. Multiply N50,000 by 1.9 million to give you an idea of how much budget we need for nutrition,’’ Tejouso said.

    “We must do all we can to save this 1.9 million children in 2017. We are in the era of change and everything must change for the better.

    “A law was passed in 2014 that specifically said at least one per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund should be allocated to the Basic Health Fund.

    “It has been two years and it has not been implemented.

    “The change we are looking for in health must start by obeying this law as our contribution to encourage development partners and private sector to participate,’’ the chairman said.

    He expressed optimism that the 2017 budget would respect that law.

    Earlier, the Head of Nutrition, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Chris Isokpunwu, expressed optimism for significant improvement in allocation for nutrition in the 2017 budget, given the attention being accorded to nutrition by the Senate.

    “We have the expertise; when we get the money, we will use it judiciously to create the desired impact and turn the tide around,’’ he said.

    On his part, World Health Organisation’s Senior Health Specialist, Mr Okunola Olaolu, underscored the need for government to prepare upfront to effectively tackle malnutrition.

    “We don’t have to always do things at emergency. If we plan up front, we will solve the root cause of malnutrition through nutrition specific and nutrition sensitive interventions,’’ Olaolu said.

    Similarly, UNICEF’s Nutrition Specialist, Dr Bamidele Omotola, said that much needed to be done in the area of social mobilisation and enlightenment campaign on proper feeding.

    It was organised in partnership with Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

     

  • FG should provide quality services as response to violence–UNICEF

    FG should provide quality services as response to violence–UNICEF

    The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says that the Federal Government has the main responsibility for preventing and responding to violence with quality services in place.

    The Chief of Child Protection, UNICEF, Nigeria, Mrs. Rachel Harvey made this known on Wednesday in Lagos.

    Harvey spoke on the sidelines of the campaign to End Violence Against Children by 2030, launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on Oct. 25.

    The campaign builds and expands on the success of just-ended Year of Action to End Violence Against Children, earlier launched in Sept. 2015.

    “The services should be staffed by trained professionals to help children recover from their experiences.

    “Also, perpetrators should be held accountable for their actions by strengthening the capacity of the justice sector, that children and the general public are aware that violence against children is unacceptable.

    “And that they know where to seek help when children are victims of violence, among other steps”, she said.

    Harvey said that the issue of violence against children was critical to the country as it was not confined to poor families, or to marginalised children or children living in the shadow of conflict.

    According to her, it is a problem that transcends social and economic status; it impacts the rich and the poor, urban and rural, educated and out of school children.

    “Ending violence against children is not just a moral imperative or a legal obligation; failure to prevent and respond to violence leads to a new generation of victims.

    “The Nigeria Violence Against Children survey found that adults who have suffered violence as children are much more likely to perpetrate intimate partner violence.

    “Failure to end violence against children also impacts the country as a whole; it leads to substantial economic losses and constrains development.

    “Ending violence against children has been linked to sustainable growth not only by the international community but, through the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals.

    “Violence against children is therefore not somebody else’s problem – it is everyone’s problem and everyone needs to be part of the solution, ‘’ she said.

    Harvey said that the government alone could not end violence.

    She said that religious leaders, NGOs, and the media had a fundamental role in breaking the culture of silence on violence that children suffered.

    “Also tackling the stigma that stops children from speaking out and ensuring that children who do report are treated with dignity and in a way that helps them to recover.

    “That is why the campaign to end violence against children by 2030, which brings together not only government ministries but also, key religious groups and organisations.

    “Also, working for children’s rights and protection is so critical to fighting violence against children

    “That is why this Presidential Campaign to end violence against children is as important as it shines a spotlight on the problem, and not only commits the government to take action.

    “But calls upon all Nigerians to break the culture of silence, fight the stigma that stops children speaking out and take action to prevent violence”, Harvey said.

     

  • Over 50% children suffer physical violence in school– UNICEF

    Over 50% children suffer physical violence in school– UNICEF

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday that over 50 per cent of Nigerian children suffered physical violence in schools.

    Ms Ladi Alabi, the Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, made the disclosure on Thursday at the ongoing Child Protection System Strengthening (CPSS) meeting in Gombe.

    The meeting was at the instance of UNICEF with support of European Union (EU), United Nations (UN) and other international organisations.

    Alabi explained that the figures emanated from the survey conducted in 2014 by the National Population Commission (NPC), which states that Nigerian children suffer high prevalence of all forms of violence.

    She said that a high percentage of children also suffered physical violence within the family setting and the immediate environment.

    ”Teachers are the most perpetrators of the first incidence of physical violence for children in Nigeria.

    ”Statistics shows that over 50 per cent of children in Nigeria suffer physical violence in schools.

    ”Also, 35.5 per cent of girls and 34.1 per cent of boys suffer physical violence within the family and immediate environment.

    ”So, parents and adult relatives are the most common perpetrators of physical violence in childhood,” she said.

    Alabi called on teachers to desist from administering corporal punishments on children and adopt modern and softer ways of instilling discipline in children without necessarily infringing on their rights.

    The child protection specialist urged government at all levels to support the fight aimed at stemming incidence of violence against children.

    She also charged parents and caregivers to ensure that Nigerians children get better future; a future free of violence at all levels.