Ugwuanyi Flags Off COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Campaign In Enugu

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State yesterday flagged off COVID-19 mass vaccination campaign in the state.

Ugwuanyi also used the occasion to launch the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund Programme Implementation, explaining that the two important and closely related programmes in the health sector were commenced together “in our frontal attack on the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Represented by his deputy, Hon. Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo, Governor Ugwuanyi disclosed that his administration, since the outbreak of COVID-19, has been proactively taking all the necessary measures for prompt containment of the virus including the implementation of sundry programmes designed to mitigate the negative impacts of the pandemic on the people of the state.

The governor added that the state government also carried out comprehensive upgrade and conception of the health systems “and wide deployment of social safety nets and other measures designed to reduce resulting fragilities and sustain our livelihoods.”

Stressing that mass vaccination is a global and nationwide measure adjudged by both World Health Organisation (WHO) and National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) to effectively combat the obviously rampaging pandemic, Governor Ugwuanyi stated that the state government through the flagship of the Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA) and Ministry of Health has commenced the mass vaccination campaign for the administration of COVID-19 vaccines for those who have not been vaccinated before.

The governor pointed out that the mass vaccination campaign targets at least 50 percent of the eligible population of Enugu State, expressing delight that ENS-PHCDA is leaving no stone unturned to achieve this target.

“Accordingly, it (ENS-PHCDA) has taken concrete steps to expand vaccination sites to at least one primary healthcare centre in every ward. It has also created vaccination sites in all our secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities in addition to 24 new mass vaccination centres, 36 mobile vaccination vans and some selected private healthcare facilities designated as vaccination sites.”

The governor further stated that Enugu was one of the few states that got all its recommended primary healthcare facilities approved for the implementation of the BHCPF programme after series of capacity assessments and verifications conducted by NPHCDA and its partners.

In his address, the Executive Secretary of ENS-PHCDA, Dr. George Ugwu applauded Governor Ugwuanyi for his unprecedented support to the agency, stating that “the target for this vaccination phase (mass vaccination campaign) is to get at least, 1,265,013 persons in Enugu State vaccinated by January 5th, 2022.”

Ugwu disclosed that the agency has already trained 1,942 vaccination personnel including vaccinators, e-recorders and validators, adding that “we have also inaugurated special teams of DSS and ICPC to ensure a vaccination card racketeering-free campaign.”

“In phase 1, we vaccinated 65,703 persons with the Oxford Astrazeneca vaccine. In phase 2, we vaccinated 28,325 and 45,085 persons with Oxford astrazeneca and Moderna vaccines, respectively. In total, we have so far, vaccinated 139,113 persons out of which 50,161 are fully vaccinated with both Oxford Astrazeneca and Moderna vaccines.

According to the UNICEF representative, Mrs. Maureen Okolo, “Enugu State has not allowed any of the vaccines to expire in her hands and has always consumed her assigned doses and even more. Kudos to the Executive Secretary and his team.”

Other participants at the event include Hon. Sam Ngene (House Committee Chairman on Health); State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Emmanuel Obi represented by the Director of Public Health, SMOH, Dr. Boniface Okolo; Hon. Alex Ugwu (Chairman of Enugu East LGA); Dr. T.C. Asogwa (ENS-PHCDA Board Chairman); Dr. Edith Okolo (Executive Secretary, ENS-AUHC); Sir Philip Ugwueze (NPHCDA State Coordinator); UNICEF Chief Field Officer, Ibrahim Conteh represented by UNICEF Nutrition Specialist Maureen Zubie Okolo; Dr. Ada Erinne (WHO State Coordinator), among others.