Danlami Durumi, the Caretaker Chairman of Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State, has on Friday commended the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for its efforts at eliminating cervical cancer in the area.
Durumi gave the commendation in an interview with newsmen in Toro, stressing that UNICEF’s sensitization programme on cervical cancer was life-saving.
The LG chairman said that activities of UNICEF in the area were not limited to sensitisation, but also the administration of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to girls aged nine to 14.
“Without UNICEF taking the lead of other development partners, the campaign would have been difficult, considering the country’s economic situation,” Durumi said.
He particularly commended UNICEF for training community volunteers, such as Mama2mama, Volunteer Community Mobilisers (VCM) and Behavioural Community Mobilisers (BCM).
Bauchi LG Vaccinates Teenage Girls Against Cancer-Inducing Papilloma Virus
He noted that members of the various groups have been going round from house to house to enlighten and mobilise people for the vaccination.
“The importance of these groups cannot be overemphasised to the campaign’s success, because they are the frontline workers whose contribution is immense.
“I want to appeal for an upward review of their allowances; because the present economic situation in the country demands that they get a little higher than what they are getting now.
“There are villages in the LGA that can only be accessed by motorcycles which they must pay for from the meagre amount they are getting.” the council boss said.
He expressed optimism that the target of girls vaccinated in the LGA would be met.
Durumi said that the effective mobilisation by the volunteers had raised the level of response of girls to vaccination.
