The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) Dr. Faisal Shuaib has said that a total of 189,310 children in the South-West geopolitical zone of Nigeria lacked access to routine immunization in the first of half of 2023.

Dr. Shuaib disclosed this during the Agency’s quarterly review meeting of the South-West Traditional Leaders Committee on Primary Health Care Delivery (SWTLC) held in Akure, Ondo State capital.

Dr. Shuaib, who described the children as “zero dose children,” said: “Lagos has the highest count with 79,279 zero dose children, followed by Oyo State with 53,812, Ondo State with 30,280, Osun with 19,737, Ogun with 3,204 and Ekiti with 2,998.”

The NPHCDA boss said the children never received any form of vaccination.

He urged the traditional rulers to continue to reiterate the significance of regular immunization and other primary healthcare services to their subjects, adding that immunization to eradicate all forms of vaccine-preventable diseases remained the agency’s top priority.

“I advocate for immunization and other primary healthcare (PHC) services. By utilizing your influential and revered position in society to emphasize the significance of regular immunization and other PHC services to parents and caregivers, we can overcome obstacles and enhance the acceptance of vaccines, ensuring that every child receives these life-saving treatments. By taking this action, we can stop the spread of cVPV2 (Circulating Variant Polio Virus Type 2), and achieve a comprehensive enhancement in the health and welfare of our communities”,

He said the Federal Government, in collaboration with development partners, would be introducing the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in September to address cervical and other types of cancer.

The NPHCDA boss noted that the meeting presented another opportunity to deliberate and devise strategies to tackle challenges facing the PHC system in the zone.