Public Health Specialist, Dr. Olabode Aderemi Temitayo has called for the inclusion of rural communities in the Covid-19 vaccination exercise.
Olabode Aderemi made this known during a webinar organized by Gabriel Ajama Foundation, a non-Governmental Organisation based in Abuja, with the theme: “Response of Rural Communities to COVID-19 Vaccination and Solutions”
He charged the Media to utilize its power to publicize the vaccination exercise in the country especially response from people living in rural areas.
Dr. Aderemi further noted that specific procedures must be adhered to by NGOs, CSOs, and the media teams to reach out to rural communities where the least of power supply cannot be felt.
According to him, the right and positive approaches are needed to tackle the large population of rural settlers who have developed unnecessary fears for the vaccine as a result of misinformation that has been spread about the vaccine.
The health specialist stressed that there is a battle between the information from social media and organized media, adding that the organized media need to do more to erase unbalanced facts.
He lauded the effort of the Gabriel Ajama Foundation towards concerns on rural communities, throwing weight behind the NGOs project which targets active sensitization and awareness programs in rural communities to create a positive turn up towards vaccination.
Ify Onyekwere, Programme Manager, GAF Foundation explained that the NGO would continue to engage with residents of rural communities to ensure they are not left behind in developmental issues.