The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has paid an advocacy visit to the Executive Secretary of the Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ASPHCDA), Dr. Obianuju Chinelo Okoye.
UNICEF is a key partner supporting immunization services, vaccine security, logistics, and other health interventions in Anambra State.
The visit focused on briefing the Executive Secretary about the current condition of the State Walk-In Cold Room located at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, where vaccines are stored, particularly highlighting persistent power supply challenges affecting the facility.
Discussions also covered broader immunization services in the state, the challenges confronting them, and possible strategies for improvement.
Members of the UNICEF delegation, including Mr. Stanley Osum, Vaccine Security and Logistics (VSL) Consultant, and Mr. Victor James, Social and Behavioural Change (SBC) Consultant, congratulated Dr. Okoye on her appointment and commended her commitment to addressing the challenges.
They stressed the need for a lasting solution to the State’s cold chain issues.
Upcoming routine immunization
Also speaking, the State Immunization Officer, Mrs. Edith Onwuka, briefed the Executive Secretary on upcoming routine immunization intensification activities.
She emphasized the urgent need for interventions to strengthen the cold chain system and guarantee vaccine safety at all times.
In her response, Dr. Okoye stated that the Agency, alongside its supervising body, the Anambra State Ministry of Health, and development partners, would convene to deliberate on sustainable solutions aimed at resolving the identified issues within the State’s cold chain system.
She expressed appreciation to UNICEF for its continued support and assured that decisive steps would be taken to safeguard vaccine potency at the state level, ensuring that vaccines remain effective when administered to beneficiaries.
As part of its continued support, UNICEF presented visibility jackets to ASPHCDA to enhance identification and supervisory activities of state health officers.
