The Federal Government has launched the ‘T• E• A• C• H Strategy’ to ensure the effective roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines upon its arrival into the country.
The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, who unveiled the strategy in Abuja on Monday, explained that T.E. A.C.H would help the government to track the vaccination process across the county.
“T: Traditional method of vaccinating target populations using desk review of available data sources, identifying the vaccination sites and rolling out; E: Electronic self-registration for health workers and the public; a link which provides an online form will be provided; A: Assisted electronic registration; C: Concomitant e-registration during walk into fixed sites/health facilities; H: House-to-House registration using volunteers for an additional push to rapidly increase the e-registration.”
Ehanire said the launch of T.E.A.C.H and Electronic Management of Immunization Data (EMID) will ensure the smooth rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign across the country.
He added that the strategy utilizes all the benefits of traditional, electronic, assisted and concomitant house-to-house registration to optimize the use of innovative technology.
He emphasized that the introduction of electronic management of immunization data was critical to addressing challenges of integrity, quality data, as well as primary healthcare data.
Ehanire said, “Our goal is to introduce COVID-19 vaccine in a phased and equitable manner, based on advice of the WHO and the experience we observe other countries to have made, and ultimately vaccinating all eligible Nigerians within the next 2 years, to ensure herd immunity.”
The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha said “Nigeria is expected to receive about four million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines on Tuesday through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Assess Facility (COVAX),
“COVAX is a World Health Organization-backed programme set-up to divide about two billion doses of vaccines across 92 low-and middle-income countries.”
The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, said Nigeria has provided an e-registration link to enable eligible Nigerians register for the COVID-19 vaccination.
Shuaib said that the T.E.A.C.H is a unique strategy for Nigeria and indigenous approach to roll out COVID-19 vaccination, which he said would be delivered under the supervision of the Presidential Taskforce on the COVID-19.
He ensure individuals obtain their pre-vaccination numbers and schedule the date and time to receive the vaccine.
“To register for COVID-19 vaccination, visit our website nphcda.gov.ng and click on ‘COVID-19 Vaccination e-registration.
“The first phase of the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine would target health workers, frontline workers, COVID-19 rapid response team, laboratory network, policemen, petrol station workers and strategic leaders.
“Phase 2 – Older adults aged 50 years and above. Those with co-morbidities aged 18 – 49 years of age.
“Phase 3 – Those in states/LGAs with high disease burden and who missed phases 1 and 2.
“Phase 4 – Other eligible population as vaccines become available.
“They will need to be scheduled for the vaccination by filling the EMID and those who are not health workers will be made aware of when they can get their turn.
“From community engagement and risk communication, to improving COVID-19 case management, to maintaining routine and essential medical services, to providing more timely physical, and eventually financial access to healthcare service, during personal health emergency, so that we do not suffer decline in other areas of healthcare, and now to access for all eligible Nigerians to vaccine administration,” he said.
He said with all of the strategies already in place, Nigeria is inching closer to gaining control of the pandemic.
