FCTA Confirms Cases Of Measles Infection In Abuja

BY DAVID ADUGE-ANI –

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) said that it has received 180 reported cases of measles infection, with 13 laboratory confirmed cases, from 69 blood samples test, conducted in parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The confirmed cases are from four area councils, namely, Kwali area council (seven cases); Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) with three cases, Gwagwalada area council has two cases, while Bwari area council has one case.

Briefing newsmen on the outbreak of the disease at the weekend, acting secretary, FCTA Health and Human Services Secretariat (HHSS), Mrs. Alice Odey-Achu explained that children below five years accounted for 46 per cent of the confirmed cases.

Odey-Achu frowned that out of the 13 confirmed cases; only one of them was vaccinated against measles, just as she called on stakeholders to ensure that no child is missed during the upcoming measles vaccination campaign in the territory.

She noted that during the 2015 campaign, FCT coverage stood at 73. 9 per cent, this according to her is not good enough to reduce the burden of the disease, especially with the daily influx of people into the territory.

Also speaking, acting executive secretary, FCT Primary Health Care Board (FCT-PHCB), Dr Matthew Ashikeni noted that in the past, Nigeria had conducted several measles vaccination campaigns to reach children with routine immunization system, but regretted that the campaigns have not met the national coverage target of 95 per cent.

Ashikeni disclose that government has provided the immunization free adding that the board meeting up with the challenge of reaching all the nooks and crannies of the territory to ensure the success of the exercise.

The acting executive secretary maintained that the board is also collaborating with private health facilities in FCT to ensure the success of the exercise, while communities are being involved in mobilising people for the vaccination.

He called on parents in the FCT to make their children and ward available for the measles vaccines campaign scheduled tentatively for February 8th to 13th, 2018 for FCT and other north central states.