Children’s health specialists state that obstacles to achieving widespread vaccination include reluctance to vaccinate, religious and cultural convictions, deficient healthcare infrastructure, and security threats.
Childcare professionals expressed dismay over persistent barriers hindering efforts to increase vaccination rates, resulting in the continued vulnerability of children to preventable diseases.
According to a report by Naijatraffic, these experts noted that challenges such as insecure environments impacting access to healthcare facilities for internally displaced populations further obstruct routine vaccination programs.
Naijatraffic highlighted a statement from Professor Ekanem Ekure, President of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria, indicating that Nigeria holds a disproportionate number of the 4.4 million unvaccinated children in West Africa, with 2.2 million under the zero-dose category, marking the highest number globally.
As per Professor Ekure, only 23% of children received full immunization as per the schedule outlined in the Expanded Programme on Immunization for 2021.
Expressing concern over Nigeria’s status as the country with the highest under-five mortality rate globally, the physician lamented the loss of lives to diseases that are preventable.
In response, child health specialists informed Naijatraffic that vaccine hesitancy, driven by misinformation and misconceptions, poses a significant challenge in the nation.
They highlighted that some parents believe vaccines contain harmful substances, while others associate them with infertility and developmental disorders, leading to a notable population of children who have not received any vaccinations.
Dr. Atinuke Uwajeh, founder and Chief Medical Director of Atlantis Pediatric Hospital in Lekki, stressed the dire repercussions of inadequate immunization, warning of resurgences of diseases previously on the verge of eradication.
As a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and holder of a diploma from the American Board of Pediatrics, Dr. Uwajeh emphasized the importance of education and community engagement in dispelling myths and fostering vaccination acceptance.
She explained, “I feel that lack of access to available vaccines, ignorance of the benefits of the vaccines, and religious beliefs are significant barriers to the high number of zero-dose children.
“A very good example is the polio vaccines in some areas of the country. Some religious leaders insisted this would cause infertility and prevented quite a number of people from getting the vaccine. Another instance is the HPV vaccine; which is meant to prevent cervical cancer. There is pushback from parents due to cultural belief
“The implication is very frightening. Inadequate infrastructure means we have several children who are deprived of access to vaccines for preventable diseases.”
On how to solve the problems surrounding immunisation, the physician highlighted, “Trying to engage the communities, creating an enabling environment, educating our community members on the importance of these vaccines and also protecting caregivers who will be responsible for giving the vaccines in those areas that are hostile to the caregivers.
“Vaccination has been known to help eradicate diseases- smallpox for instance has been eradicated because of vaccination
“Vaccine hesitancy is also another major problem we are having. Most of our educated members are also concerned about the false association between vaccines and neurodevelopment issues.”
Professor Omotayo Adesiyun, a Consultant Paediatrician at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, highlights a disturbing trend in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
The “japa” syndrome, where healthcare professionals are leaving the country in large numbers, has resulted in understaffed and overburdened health centers, particularly in rural areas.
This exodus, combined with economic constraints and rising transportation costs, makes it difficult for parents to access free immunization services for their children.
To address these challenges, Professor Adesiyun emphasizes the importance of education, community engagement, and sustainable healthcare infrastructure.
She suggests targeted education campaigns that partner with traditional leaders and community influencers to disseminate accurate information about vaccines, combating misinformation and promoting vaccine acceptance.
“The barriers to immunisation are varied; some apply more to certain parts of Nigeria than others. It’s important that when we are talking about immunization, we are talking about routine immunisation in which babies after they are born are taken to health centres periodically to get immunised.
“These barriers include insecurity and internally displaced people in camps, whose access to health centres is disrupted. Poor access to health care in rural areas, riverine areas, and places with difficult terrains, in which it is very difficult to access health centres. Lack of money, even though immunisation is free, money for transportation can still make it difficult for parents to access particularly now that transportation costs are increasing all over Nigeria.
“Religious beliefs and vaccine hesitancy. Some people believe that chemicals have been put in vaccines to cause sterility and other side effects, so they are not willing to immunise their children.”
On how cultural and religious beliefs put children at risk, the child health expert explained, “ All barriers to immunisation put children at risk, but in a place that shares the same culture and religious beliefs, then many children will be at risk.
“The goal of immunisation is to prevent an infectious disease. Sometimes, the immunised person still gets the disease but in those instances, the disease tends to be mild. So when many children are not immunised due to cultural and religious beliefs, many of them will get the disease, many will die and those who don’t die might be left with permanent sequelae like paralysis, blindness and deafness.
“I believe the strategy to deploy is to combat the barriers. The strategies are not necessarily new and innovative. Appropriate education and enlightenment particularly by the key opinion leaders in the community. Immunisation should be brought as close as possible to the people and to centres where people can easily get to.
“The biggest challenge to healthcare workers now is the ‘japa’ syndrome. Many workers are leaving the country, and those left are overworked. Many urban health centres now are understaffed, so getting healthcare workers in rural and remote areas is now more challenging.
“The international organisations are not our problem, they have done a lot to support immunization in Nigeria. Most vaccines are given to the country free by these international organisations. The problem is that certain cultural and religious groups think these international organisations have a vested interest in supporting immunisation. Some groups think these organisations are adding chemicals to the vaccines to cause sterility to depopulate the African continent
“There is a lot of disinformation and misinformation out there about vaccines.”
