Hello Neil, Thank you for sharing this post with recurring and important message about vaccine hesitancy / refusal.
Even before COVID-19, the problem existed even though COVID-19 has heightened the misinformation. In 2019, it was reported, that "WHO has identified vaccine hesitancy as one of the greatest threats to global health. As the World Health Assembly meets in May, Devex is exploring the rise of vaccine hesitancy andwhat it means for global health efforts."
I hope that the same technology that has given anti-vaxxers such global platform to spread their misinformation can be used by WHO, health authorities everywhere, NGOs and CSOs, and FBOs to educate and educate and educate all stakeholders on the benefits of vaccination both for children and adults. That it can be used ‘to educate community leaders to support immunization and religious leaders to preach immunization, and can also be used to coordinate a response fast, train health workers and community volunteers to deliver services better, and to remind parents to vaccinate their children.’ ( https://www.devex.com/news/here-s-how-people-in-nigeria-are-avoiding-vac... )
‘Nigeria's Polio Journey to Zero (Polio eradication)’ happened in 2020, the last country in Africa to achieve the feat. Recently, the UNICEF had the following to say in an update on polio in Nigeria: "It's been three years now and Nigeria has not recorded a single case of wild polio. A network of frontline workers and traditional leaders have been instrumental in polio eradication and strengthening community health systems." (Safiya Akau, Communication Officer, UNICEF Nigeria.)
Long may the efforts and strategies and remarkable results that led to Polio eradication in LMICs like Nigeria continue, buoyed by the evidence that vaccines work as noted and experienced by the World once COVID-19 vaccines were introduced. Probably there is no stronger message against vaccine misinformation to-date.
Joseph Ana.
Prof Joseph Ana
Lead Senior Fellow/ medicalconsultant.
Center for Clinical Governance Research &
Patient Safety (ACCGR&PS) @ HRI GLOBAL
P: +234 (0) 8063600642
E: info@hri-global.org
8 Amaku Street, State Housing, Calabar,Nigeria.
www.hri-global.org
HIFA Profile: Joseph Ana is the Lead Senior Fellow/Medical Consultant at the Centre for Clinical Governance Research and Patient Safety in Calabar, Nigeria, established by HRI Global (former HRIWA). He is a member of the World Health Organisation’s Technical Advisory Group on Integrated Care in primary, emergency, operative, and critical care (TAG-IC2). As the Cross River State Commissioner for Health, he led the introduction of the Homegrown Quality Tool, the 12-Pillar Clinical Governance Programme, in Nigeria (2004-2008). For sustainability, he established the Department of Clinical Governance, Servicom & e-health in the Cross River State Ministry of Health, Nigeria. His main interest is in whole health sector and system strengthening in Lower, Low and Middle Income Countries (LLMICs). He has written six books on the 12-Pillar Clinical Governance programme, suitable for LLMICs, including the TOOLS for Implementation. He served as Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association’s Standing Committee on Clinical Governance (2012-2022), and he won the Nigeria Medical Association’s Award of Excellence on three consecutive occasions for the innovation. He served as Chairman, Quality & Performance, of the Technical Working Group for the implementation of the Nigeria Health Act 2014. He is member, National Tertiary Health Institutions Standards Committee of the Federal Ministry of Health. He is the pioneer Secretary General/Trustee-Director of the NMF (Nigerian Medical Forum) which took the BMJ to West Africa in 1995. Joseph is a member of the HIFA Steering Group and the HIFA working group on Community Health Workers. (http://www.hifa.org/support/members/joseph-0 http://www.hifa.org/people/steering-group). Email: info AT hri-global.org and jneana AT yahoo.co.uk
