Sola POPOOLA
A management consulting firm, Sydani Group, on Saturday revealed that a total of 1.6 million residents out of the 1.9 million eligible population are yet to be injected with the Covid 19 vaccines in Ekiti State.
Sydani revealed this in Ado Ekiti, during a stakeholders’ meeting held with media executives in collaboration with the Ekiti State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, saying a little over 300,000, had been innoculated with the vaccines.
Speaking at the event, an official of the Sydani Group, Mr. Dapo Awobeku, said the uptake of the Covid 19 vaccines available in Ekiti, had been slowed down by poor accessibility and misconceptions being peddled around about their security.
Awobeku lamented that the figure of those that had been innoculated represented a paltry of 16.8% of the eligible population, describing this as unacceptable.
He added that the Sydani Group in partnership is incurably committed to raise the figure with over 500,000 within the next six months through vigorous campaigns for better and robust participation.
The Sydani official appealed to media in Ekiti to collaborate with government to raise the awareness to debunk the myths built around the vaccines that they are unsafe and deleterious to health of the citizens.
Awobeku said: “Going by available statistics, the government had vaccinated about 16.8 percent of eligible population of 1.9m in Ekiti State with Astrazeneca, Johnson and Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer vaccines that are available in circulation.
“We are here to support the state’s effort to cover up the lost grounds of the vaccination coverage. In the next six months, we are targeting at least an additional 25% coverage of 1.9m eligible population expected to be vaccinated.
“Findings showed that this figure is low because of the poor access to the vaccines. Some interested citizens would have to travel several kilometres to get them injected, we want to remove this barrier. Rather than expecting them to come, we want to take the vaccines to their doorsteps.
“Though, we know that if the vaccines are even taken to their doorsteps, some will not show readiness to be injected. But we are increasing the awareness on why the vaccines should be taken.
“Findings also revealed that only one out of four persons are ready to take the vaccines, but with awareness and engagements, they can change their minds”.
Awobeku charged Ekiti citizens to take their health serious and take precautionary measures that can improve their wellbeing for them to contribute to economic growth.