IMO COMMUNITY APPEALS FOR EXTENSION OF COVID-19 VACCINATION CENTRE TO THEIR AREA

Reporter : CHINAZO ILECHUKWU

The people of Ikpem Community in Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State have appealed to the government to extend the ongoing vaccination against COVID-19 to their area to protect them from the dreaded disease.

The traditional ruler of the Community, Eze Edmund Onwumere, made the appeal during sensitization to essential health practices and Volunteer Community Mobilizer Initiative organized by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) with support from UNICEF. The programme was for leaders in thirty-one communities of Ehime Mbano Local Government Area held at the Council headquarters, Umuezeala.

Eze Onwumere alleged that he had made several appeals to local government health officials to bring the vaccine to Ikpem community without favourable response as they were told to travel over twenty kilometers to the nearest health facility to receive the jab. The Director National Orientation Agency in Imo State, Mrs. Ngozi Ekeoba, said the essence of the programme was to sensitize the people especially pregnant women to the need to access government health facilities located in their communities to improve their wellbeing.

The State Health Educator, Mrs. Chinwe Abanobi, advised the people to step up hygiene to prevent cholera while urging them to ensure routine immunization of children to tackle childhood killer diseases and vaccine-preventable conditions. The representative of Imo Rural Water and Sanitation, RUWASSA Mr. Chris Agu, emphasized the need to end open defecation by ensuring that toilet facilities were provided in their compound.

Traditional rulers, Presidents-General, Women and Youth leaders from thirty-one communities of Ehime Mbano Local Government Are, who attended the programme, resolved to nominate five persons from each community to serve as volunteer community mobilizers who will be trained to help educate the rural dwellers on essential health practices.