The Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB) is set to partner with the State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENPHCDA) to combat measles and other epidemic diseases in the state.
ENSUBEB Chairman, Prof. Hyginus Banko Okibe, made this known on Thursday, during a visit from ENPHCDA Executive Secretary, Dr. Ifeyinwa Ani-Osheku, and her team.
Prof. Okibe emphasized the importance of collaboration, citing the need for data collection from schools to enhance immunization efforts. He commended Dr. Ani-Osheku’s team for their work and pledged support for implementing key issues discussed during the visit.
With this partnership, Prof. Okibe expressed optimism about eradicating measles and other viral diseases in the state, highlighting the severity of measles as a potentially fatal childhood disease. He encouraged ENPHCDA to continue working towards a disease-free state.
While expressing optimism that measles and other viral diseases would be stamped out of the state, the ENSUBEB boss described measles as one of the childhood diseases that could be fatal and urged the agency not to relent in its effort to make the state disease-free.
“All relevant stakeholders must be carried along in this lofty and commendable journey. You and your team have started well, and we are more than ready to collaborate with you to continue to make our state safe for our children,” he added.
He lauded the state governor, Dr Peter Mbah, for the improved quality of life his administration had made possible through significant investment in the health sector.
On her part, the Executive Secretary, told the chairman that their visit was part of their plan to establish a robust and fruitful relationship with the education body in order to enhance effective healthcare delivery in the state.
Ani-Osheku, who used the occasion to seek the collaboration with the board to secure the children’s health through immunization and also ensure that they have the requisite vaccine against measles, said the relationship would also help to fight other childhood diseases.
She explained that they came with representatives of their partners in the health sector, including the World Health Organisation, United Nations Children’s Fund, among others, adding that Primary Health Centres in the state were already working with those partners to guarantee children’s health with the right immunization vaccines.
“Measles is a highly contagious disease that spreads easily when infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes and can cause severe disease, complications, leading to blindness, ear infection, possible brain diseases and even death.
“Immunization is the best way to prevent measles and stop it from spreading to other people because any non-immune person can become infected while unvaccinated young children and pregnant persons are at highest risk of severe measles complication,” she added.
Dr. Chinelo Nnadi, the Director Disease Control and Immunization Enugu State, said that her team aimed to forge collaboration with the board as a vanguard to reach the education officers and stakeholders, including teachers and parents to allow the team administer the vaccine.
She lamented that Nigeria was certified polio-free at a time, but there had been a resurgence of the disease.
Baraba Nonso, a UNICEF Officer in charge of Social Behaviour who was a member of the team, said that they were known to support programmes that impact on children and women.
