Agency4ALL, a leading research organisation conducted a comprehensive study on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Nigeria, and disseminated the research findings, shedding light on the factors contributing to vaccine hesitancy and offering potential solutions in Abuja on Tuesday.
Speaking at the event, Mrs Chika Offor, Core Group dissemination consultant, told newsmen in Abuja, that the groundbreaking research aimed to inform policymakers, healthcare professionals, and the public, paving the way for increased vaccine confidence and uptake in the country.
Offor, who is also the Executive Director of Vaccine Network, said it also aimed to communicate the research findings and their programmatic and policy implications of the A4ALL project in Nigeria.
“This will encourage strategic stakeholders to utilise the result findings in the implementation of Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) programming and broader vaccination programming.
“It will also deepen the commitment of invites stakeholders with the need to transform RCCE programming for COVID-19 vaccine uptake as well as broader routine vaccination, life-course vaccination programs and future pandemics based on evidence,” she said.
She emphasised how the findings from the research would improve vaccine confidence and decrease vaccine hesitancy in the country.
In her remark, Dr. Rebecka Lundgren, Director, Agency4All project said that the key to moving data to action was through effective communication and ensuring that messaging was audience-specific.
“The key to moving data into action is to understand the group you are communicating with and to ensure that your communication meets their needs,” Lundgren.
Also speaking at the event, the Coordinator African Health Budget Network, Dr Aminu Magashi emphasised the impact the research would have on making the country better in the management of infodemics.
Magashi said that In light of the fact that the country was currently in a new government administration, the findings of this research would be crucial to its efforts at building a better Nation.
Others at the event included Breakthrough Action-Nigeria, ONE Campaign, FOMWAN, NPHCDA, NOA, Traditional Rulers, FCT Ward development committee and Wives of Traditional rulers in FCT.
TalkHealth9ja, reports that according to a report by the World Health Organisation, from January 3, 2020, to August 16, 2023, there have been 266,675 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 3,155 deaths.
As of August 6, 2023, a total of 128,382,195 vaccine doses have been administered. This means that approximately 60 per cent of the country’s population has been vaccinated against COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the event provided insight into further improving vaccination and immunisation among Nigerians in the event of any pandemic outbreak and the Human papillomavirus (HPV), vaccination that will soon kick off across the country.
The research and dissemination event was funded by USAID.
