SELYA YARNAP, Bauchi
The team of Fathers for Good Health structured by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Bauchi Field Office to promote routine immunisation in local communities have contributed to the reduction of zero dose children in Bauchi State, where a high rate is being reported.
The fathers, numbering 1,130 are members of Fathers for Good Health (F4H) across 113 wards of seven LGAs in the State.
F4H is a UNICEF-led initiative which focuses on engaging fathers in promoting positive health-seeking behaviors, particularly regarding childhood immunization.
The initiative seeks to leverage fathers’ influence within their communities to encourage wider acceptance and uptake of vaccines and other essential healthcare services.
UNICEF Bauchi Field Office Social Behaviour Change (SBC) Specialist, George Eki revealed this to pressmen while giving an update on the activities of the group in his office.
According to him, one year after the Fathers for Good Health was introduced to the healthcare sector, the group has mobilised a total of 109,444 children to be immunised with routine immunisation and antigens in the seven local government areas.
The group, also he said, has mobilised 9,252 communities in the 113 wards of the seven local government areas across the state where they convince fathers to allow their wives to take vaccines.
They were doing these jobs joyfully, so it is the first time we are engaging men in this form.
“What we always had in the past, are meetings where we sit down and talk to men and after that, no action. This time around, we have decided to place men as the real field workers who are the one to resolve the problem of non-compliance by convincing parents to bring their children to be vaccinated.”
According to him, “In terms of the amount of work they have done, for the two LGAs, now it is 7 LGA, we are expanding out to Gombe and Adamawa States.We already have them working, but they are working not according to the structure you saw in some of the LGAs you went to.”
“So now, we are going out to do the proper structuring of these groups in Adamawa and Gombe. If you visit these states, the Executive Chairmen of the Primary Healthcare Development Agency have been singing praises of these groups because of the way they were able to help us resolve the issue of non-compliances.
“Some of the challenges that Fathers for Good Health are facing is that some of them have to travel in very difficult terrain. I have met some using their own motorbikes to resolve non-compliance.
“If someone can be that committed, buying his own fuel, riding his own bike, taking all the risk, just to ensure that a child is reached, I can say they deserve all the commendation. We don’t have all the funds to support them in terms of fueling, providing them with motorbikes for those who want to go and work in those hard terrains. We don’t provide that, but we encourage them to do as much as they can.”
