Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, through the Health Services and Environment Secretariat, HSES, has strengthened collaboration with religious leaders to address the growing challenges of vaccine hesitancy and improve immunisation compliance across communities.
The initiative aims to leverage the influence of faith-based institutions to promote accurate health information, dispel myths and encourage parents to ensure that their children receive routine vaccinations.
The campaign commenced with a press briefing at the FCT Public Health Emergency Operations Center, where the Mandate Secretary, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, addressed members of the press on the importance of compliance with the ongoing Child Immunisation Campaign (Measles-Rubella) under the Child Rights Act, 2003.
Dr Fasawe reiterated that immunisation in the FCT is free, safe, effective and secures the future of every child, emphasising that ignorance or misinformation must never be an excuse for non-compliance.
“We will continue to educate our people and assure them of the safety and effectiveness of vaccines,” she stated.
She also revealed that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has approved free enrolment into the FCT Health Insurance Scheme, FHIS, for every child fully vaccinated in public schools, adding that the administration has begun to enforce relevant legal provisions to address non-compliance or obstruction of vaccination teams.
He warned that violators, including parents and school owners, will face sanctions under the Child Rights Act.
According to her, Sections 13 and 14 of the Act mandate parents, guardians and institutions to ensure that every child is fully immunised and denying such access constitutes a violation of a child’s right to health and protection.
Building on the momentum from the briefing, field advocacy visits commenced, targeting various mosques and Islamic centers across Abuja, including the Ansar-ud-Deen Society and Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Foundation.
The exercise continued with visits to major churches such as Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, MFM, Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Evangelical Church Winning All, ECWA, and Christ Holy Church International.
The advocacy visits, led by Fasawe formed part of the wider citywide sensitisation campaign aimed at ensuring that no child whether in school, church, mosque, market or playground is left unprotected from preventable diseases.
Simultaneously, other FCTA immunisation teams were deployed across various districts and communities, including hard-to-reach areas and places of worship, to guarantee comprehensive coverage and ensure that every eligible child is reached.
Fasawe explained that the ongoing campaign was designed to be all-inclusive, involving traditional institutions, churches, mosques, community associations, NGOs, CSOs and partners such as the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, UNICEF, WHO, IVACA.
She noted that the Secretariat’s teams have traversed the nooks and crannies of the FCT to reach as many households as possible.
