Maiduguri, 16 February 2018 - With multiple disease outbreaks looming in north-east Nigeria, World Health Organization (WHO) recently partnered with the Borno State Ministry of Health and the National Orientation Agency (NOA), to reach 13 500 households and shared key messages on health to save lives.

The goal of the house-to-house outreach effort was to share practical health messages on ensuring children receive routine vaccinations, along with guidance on preventing the spread of certain diseases endemic to the area and best practices for hygiene. 

NOA Community Mobilization Officers trained by WHO delivered focused interpersonal health risk communications to give people and communities with the right health information for informed decision making about their lives. 

At a recent debriefing organized for 40 Community Health Champions in Maiduguri, Borno state, WHO’s Health Emergency Manager, Dr   Collins Owili, said that health risk communication is an integral part of WHO’s life-saving package for people affected by the ongoing insurgency in north-east Nigeria.  

Dr Owili explained that WHO targeted households with focused health risk education in Maiduguri Municipal Council, Jere, Konduga, Kaga, Munguno and Dikwa local government areas (LGAs) to provide household members an opportunity for interpersonal health risk communication.  This included key messages on the need for routine vaccinations of children in light of recent debunked rumors circulating in communities that vaccines were not needed.  

Emphasizing the importance of real-time risk communication, Dr Onuekwe stressed that health risk messages delivered at the right time to the right audience through the right channels is as critical as vaccine and could save lives.

“Recognizing that timely health messages are as important as epidemiology and vaccine, WHO has taken further steps to reach households with critical health saving information as a proactive action towards preventing seasonal disease outbreaks including meningitis, malaria and cholera,” said Owili. 

The Borno state Director of Disease Control and Prevention, Alhaji Babagana Abiso, applauded WHO’s innovation adding that it would go a long way to dispel negative rumours about vaccination, as well as rebuild community confidence in government and partners’ efforts to provide them with urgently needed health interventions even at home. 

Spreading health messages before seasonal disease outbreaks start
With a minimum package of health information and education materials on diverse health risk messages, 40 Community Health Champions are visiting households in select LGAs ahead of the anticipated seasonal disease outbreaks of meningitis, cholera and malaria. 

The Community Health Champions are trained community mobilization officers of the National Orientation agency, engaged by WHO and partners to deliver focused household messages on disease prevention and importance of vaccination.  

The provision of critical health information is part of WHO’s comprehensive strategy for supporting people in north-east Nigeria. 

WHO is applying a combination of approaches to ensure the availability of basic health services targeted at preventing and treating common illnesses, including for infectious diseases and management of severe acute malnutrition. 
 

Technical Contact:

Dr Chima Onuekwe; Tel: +234 803 535 4876 Email: onuekwec [at] who.int