The programme manager of Notify Health Nigeria, Ibrahim Ahmad Ilyasu, has disclosed that his organisation has reached out to over 84,000 people through text messages and call reminders to immunise their infants across Kogi State, saying that the process had improved healthcare delivery in the state.
At a two-day capacity-building for field officers in Lokoja, Ilyasu said the training would improve the field workers’ activities in supporting the health workers on routine immunisation.
He stressed that five local government areas were involved in this project phase.
According to him, as time goes by, the programme will be expanded to reach more local governments and facilities in the state.
His words, “It will also give us the opportunity to enroll as many infants as we can and get them immunized. We hope that this expansion and this capacity building for field officers will improve immunization outcome across Kogi state, significantly. Through SMS and call reminders, we have seen a significant improvement in terms of immunisation.”
Also speaking, the state programme manager of Renaissance Care and Empowerment Foundation (RECEF), Ikechukwu Mpama said the training is designed to improve the capacities of the field officers on the immunisation reminder project, adding that the idea of the project is to increase immunisation rates in Kogi State by working with health facilities at selected local government areas in the state.
He noted that information relating to the immunization of caregivers’ wards will be collected and digitized, and thereafter, a text message and voice call system that reminds them of the time for immunization will be deployed so that they will not miss the appointment.
“So this training is to ensure that the field officers who will be engaging with these facilities understand the project very well and are able to carry it out properly in their various communities of engagement. In fact, some of the survey report summary of the outcome of the pilot that was done indicates that many caregivers and facilities reported that the immunization rates has increased, the default rate had reduced, more people were coming and meeting up with their appointments as a result of this particular project in those local government areas and facilities,” he said.
One of the cluster supervisors of RECEF, Mrs Okeji Oyiza Fatayat said the training would boost their capacity to support health workers when they get to the field.
Director, Community Health Services and Social Development, Kogi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Onimisi Abdullahi, commended the Notify Health for creating awareness on routine immunisation in Kogi State.
He promised the continued collaboration of his Agency with the Notify Health and the field implementing organisation, RECEF, to ensure that more children have access to immunisation.
