By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal
The Kwara Government, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organisation (WHO), has urged religious leaders to dispel myths and misconceptions surrounding vaccination.
The call was made at a One-Day Orientation Programme for Religious Leaders on Promoting Positive Norms through the Faith-for-Life approach, held in Ilorin.
Speaking at the programme, Prof. Nusirat Elelu, the Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency, said traditional and religious leaders command trust and respect in their communities.
She explained that their position as leaders in their community, makes their involvement crucial to reducing maternal and infant mortality.
Elelu said some religious beliefs that discourage blood transfusion and Caesarean section still contribute to maternal deaths.
She urged leaders to acquire correct health knowledge to counter misinformation.
“We need people like you to strengthen health advocacy in our communities. You occupy positions of trust and are voices of authority as imams and pastors.
“We need your support in addressing the challenges of maternal, newborn and infant mortality, immunisation, hygiene and sanitation, and child protection,” she said.
She said protecting the health and survival of women and children must remain a collective responsibility.
The executive secretary stressed the need for appropriate antenatal care, reduction of stillbirths, exclusive breastfeeding for six months and routine immunisation.
Elelu expressed concern that misconceptions, misinformation and cultural barriers delay health-seeking behaviours and prevent families from accessing essential services.
Also speaking, the Social and Behaviour Change Specialist, UNICEF Kaduna Field Office, Mr Ibrahim Tsado, urged religious leaders to take responsibility for dispelling vaccine myths in their communities.
Tsado said vaccines were safe, approved and among the most highly regulated products globally, having undergone strict regulatory processes before approval.
He urged the leaders to use their influence to promote accurate information and encourage parents to ensure their children receive routine immunisation.
Similarly, WHO State Coordinator, Dr Eyitayo Emmanuel, emphasised the safety of vaccines, noting that they undergo rigorous processes before approval by relevant authorities.
In her remarks, UNFPA State Coordinator, Dr Gloria Enueze, urged mothers to ensure their children receive routine immunisation.
She appealed to pregnant mothers to take recommended vaccines to protect themselves and their unborn children.
The Director of Primary Health Care Systems, Dr Michael Oguntoye, explained that vaccines undergo several stages of testing and regulatory scrutiny by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
Oguntoye dismissed claims that vaccines were being used to reduce Nigeria’s population, rejecting allegations that vaccination programmes were sponsored for population control.
He explained that financial support for vaccine programmes did not mean donors independently manufactured vaccines.
He added that vaccines used in Nigeria were also used in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that participants were drawn from the Women Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN) and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
Others includes the Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN) and Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI).
