US CDC Nigeria Joins Forces to Reach Zero-Dose Children, Combat Vaccine-Preventable Diseases

The United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Nigeria has pledged to support the Federal Government in reaching zero-dose children to reduce vaccine-preventable diseases in the country.

The US CDC Nigeria made the pledge on Wednesday at a media round-table in Abuja.

Zero-dose children are the children who did not receive a single dose of any vaccine in the routine national immunisation schedule.

They are measured by the number of children who have not received the first dose of Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis vaccine.

According to the US CDC, more than 10 million children are estimated to be zero-dose children globally, 58 per cent of which live in just 10 countries, including Nigeria.

The Senior Immunisation Specialist, Global Immunisation Division, Global Health Centre, US CDC, Dr Hadley Ikwe, noted that the centre is supporting the Federal Government to reduce childhood illnesses and deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases.

In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Sydani Group, Sidney Sampson, said the group is committed to supporting the CDC in reaching zero-dose children in the country.

“This is about the Nigerian child and all of us at some point were children. When we say reaching zero children, we mean those children that have never been reached; this means those that don’t benefit from immunisation interventions from both the government and other Non-Governmental Organisations working in the immunisation area.

“We are happy to be partners and support the effort of the U.S CDC have been putting in to ensure every child is reached with required doses,” Sampson said