The National and State Primary Health Care Development Agencies, in partnership with the Nigerian Red Cross Society, have trained 35 data collectors to boost routine immunisation in three local government areas of Anambra State.

The two-day training, which ended on Thursday in Awka, is part of the second phase of the Saving Lives and Livelihoods project, funded by the Mastercard Foundation and supported by the Africa Centre for Disease Control.

The data collectors, selected from Anambra West, Ogbaru, and Nnewi North LGAs, identified for their low vaccination coverage, will be responsible for gathering data to facilitate immunisation in these communities.

Speaking during the exercise held at the Nigerian Red Cross Society headquarters, Awka, the Senior Project Officer, Dr Ahmad Abdulmajid, described the project, expected to last for six months, as a critical milestone in the country’s efforts to improve capacity on preparedness for disease outbreaks.

According to him, the project is being implemented in 10 states of the country, including Anambra.

He said, “These data collectors were selected from the three local government areas which have low vaccine enrollment in the state. The job of the data collectors after the training is to go to these communities and gather data on immunisation enrollment.

“The three local government areas are Anambra West, Ogbaru and Nnewi North LGAs; they were selected because of their low vaccine enrollment record, and the job of these facilitators is to promote routine vaccine enrollment in the areas.

“In Nigeria, the project is being implemented in 10 states; out of the 10 states, Anambra is one of them. Overall, the aim is to optimally improve routine immunisation in the three local government areas through data gathering.

“We want to see communities that are strong in disease control through vaccination and immunisation and also to prepare them in case an outbreak comes, they can be able to fight it.”

Also speaking, the Director of Advocacy and Communication, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Aliyu Ladan, represented by Mr Felix Ajidua, described the project as laudable.

Ladan added that 25 data collectors and volunteers were trained on vital data collection instruments and apps such as Kobo Collect and Open Data Kits to enhance evidence-based programming.

“We are also training the data collectors for the three local government areas on how to build trust and good listening skills in the course of the exercise in the communities.

“Our aim is to provide orientation and align the project purpose and scope with government stakeholders at the sub-national level,” he added.

The State Health Educator, Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Mrs Uju Onwuegbuzina, said the partners provided technical and financial support for the project aimed at optimally improving routine immunisation in the three local government areas.

Onwuegbuzina stated, “So, when we create demand, the service delivery components will now bring out eligible children for immunisation because we don’t want any of the eligible children to be missed.

“We want all the eligible children to be vaccinated against all these vaccine-preventable diseases so that there will be no outbreak. We are training the Data Collectors and Volunteers which the local government social mobilisation officers will supervise.

“We keep telling our society that our vaccine is safe, free and effective, so let us join hands together to prevent all these preventable diseases, especially now that Diphtheria is everywhere.”

The State Branch Secretary, Nigeria Red Cross Society, Kingsley Okoye, emphasised the critical role of data collection in combating preventable diseases.

The event was attended by officials from the primary health care development agencies, social mobilisation officers, educators, and other stakeholders.

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