By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
The Executive Director State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (SPHCDA) Borno State, Dr. Goni Abba has said that COVID-19 vaccination across the state and country cannot be completely successful without the involvement of the media practitioners as agents of communication.
Dr. Abba, stated this on Tuesday during a Covid-19 media dialogue with journalists in Borno State, which organized by SPHCDA in collaboration with UNICEF.
He appealed to the media to enlighten, educate, mobilize, sensitize and encourage the general public to accept and participate in the ongoing COVID-19 Phase II vaccination across the state and country at large.
Represented by the Director, Disease Control, SPHCDA, Alh. Goni Abatcha, The Executive Director urged the media to dissemination information positively against the negative narration about the vaccination.
“The role of the media in any activity has been very significant in terms of advocates, mobilizers, educators, mediators, reconcilators and promoters of peace, development and stability as well as stakeholders in communication and community development” he said.
He appreciated the development partners like UNICEF, WHO and others including the staff of SPHCDA and MOH for their support and interventions so far.
On her part, The Communication and Development Specialist, UNICEF, Mrs. Elizabeth Onitilo urged the Journalists to help educate and enlighten the public on the safety of the COVID-19 Phase I and II vaccines, assuring that the vaccines are safe and approved by the WHO and NAFDAC before being administered nation wide and globally.
She also appealed to the media to ensure that the public have full knowledge on how to access the vaccines and why they need to be vaccinated against covid-19.
The UNICEF Specialist, further, added that the dialogue was aimed at developing sustainable media demand to help disseminate information, reduce risk perception about covid-19 vaccination and help publicize the products, stressing that, people have been taking the vaccines and going about their normal businesses without any side effects.