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| Some of the female group reps at the Covid 19 dialogue in Damaturu |
From JOE Hemba
Mercy Corps, one of the INGOs working in Nigeria has organized a one day dialogue with community leaders in Yobe State to discuss the way forward over the spread of the covid 19 virus and increase access to the vaccine.
The dialogue meeting which brought together religious leaders, community and women leaders, youth, as well as people living with disability was held at two communities of Gwange Primary Health Care and Damaturu Central Primary School in Damaturu yesterday.
Both communities brainstorm on the way forward of mitigating the spread of the various and also increase the access to the COVID 19 vaccine in the state.
At separate messages during the dialogue, the Deputy Program Manager, Covid-19 Vaccine Access Program, Yobe Kauna Sugabkya said the meeting was to discuss SBC on the poor Covid-19 vaccination at community levels due to ignorance of community members.
She noted that what Mercy Corps is doing is part of her mandate to educate the relevant key stakeholders at the dialogue session which will in turn give room for social behavioral change in Yobe State towards covid 19.
Mrs Shugabkya explained that the project is a one year project which will be carried out in 16 wards of Damaturu and Potiskum Local Government Areas in Yobe State.
She added that, the covid-19 vaccine access program was to improve covid-19 vaccination coverage by increasing vaccine confidence, acceptance and uptake in vulnerable communities in Nigeria
Some of the community leaders at the Gwange dialogue like Mohammed Abatcha and Alhaji Baba Ali advised mercy Corps to provide incentives for the people while carrying out campaign as a well of motivating individuals and households to take the vaccine.
Another community leader, Mohammed Mustapha added that “constant sensitization campaign through the community leader will enhanced large turned out of community members at the facility and centers”.
Pastor Istifanus Dauda and Hauwa Attahir at Damaturu Central Ward said there is need for constant sensitization and awareness campaign sessions in both worship centers and other social gatherings in other to enhance the acceptance of the vaccine at the community level.
Highlights of the dialogues was the sharing of jingles by Mrs Kauna Shugabkya with community, religious leader, People with Disability and woman leader on the importance of Covid-19 vaccination.
A new chat room called “Chat with Shehu” was also made available to the general public with people with smartphones users to gained more information about Covid-19 on the WhatsAAp platform with the no 07034146757.
According to Mrs , Shugabkya, “Shehu understands Hausa, Kanuri and English”, and so anyone can chat with him in those languages
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