Only 1, 200 doses of COVID-19 vaccine doses have been allocated to Adamawa State with an estimated population of 4.2 million people.
The Executive Chairman of the state’s Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Doctor Suleiman Bashir, disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday.
Bashir, further revealed that the state is looking at vaccinating less than 600 people, as according to him about 500 vaccine doses will be reserved for front-line healthcare providers.
He said, “About 1, 200 doses of coronavirus vaccine doses would come to Adamawa and we’ve split the 1, 200 into two. We’re looking at vaccinating less than 600 people.
“We were to start Januay but now we are in February, the vaccines have yet to come. We’re targeting front-line heath workers who are providing services in the isolation centres.
“After this category, we look at the elderly, those above 50 years old, then those with core morbidity; after them, other health workers. This strategy was given by the epidemiologist of the disease,” he said.
In 2006, Nigeria’s census put the population of Adamawa State at 3.2 million people. Just 8 years later,
Adamawa has a projected population of 4.2 million—a 30 percent increase in only 8 years.
A key driver of Adamawa’s population is that women in the state have an average of 5.8 children, compared with the national average of 5.5.
This is according to a 2015 document jointly produced by the Adamawa State Government and National Population Commission titled Rapid: The Change We Seek.
On general healthcare services, particularly in rural communities, Bashir said the agency had taken a holistic approach to addressing the challenges facing primary healthcare in the state.
Accordingly, he said tricycle ambulance scheme has been introduced to improve access to health facility, in line with Governor Ahmadu Fintiri’s policy of providing quality healthcare service to all.
