Kaduna Woman Laments How She Lost Four Children To Preventable Diseases
By Lola Seriki -Idahosa, Kaduna
Saude Safiyanu, a housewife, a heartbroken mother of two from Unguwar Kanawa Community Tankarau, Under Dutsen Abba, Kaduna State, Northwest Nigerian, has experienced the unimaginable pain of losing four children due to lack of immunization.
Her husband’s skepticism towards vaccination led to this tragedy, leaving Saude to wonder what could have been done differently.
According to her, her husband never believed in vaccinating their children like other men in the village, and as a result, four of her children died after falling sick at different times after delivery.
“We don’t vaccinate our children and we don’t take them to hospital for immunization because my husband doesn’t approve it. I don’t know, but he dislikes it and because of that, I don’t take them for immunization after birth,” she lamented.
“This is how I lost four of my six children after the first child. But I later understand the importance of the vaccinations, so I begged him to allow me to vaccinate the last girl I gave birth to and he agreed, and now she is 20 months old, very healthy,” she added.
Saude further said that most of the men in the community were against immunization but that today the mindset is changing as more children are being immunized.
“In the past, our men within the community always go against the immunization but now their mindset has change after several children felt sick and others died,” she said.
She further appealed to women, especially, to always take their children for immunization against child killer diseases.
Her Personal Tragedy
Saude’s story is a poignant reminder of the importance of immunization. She recounts the loss of four children, all of whom fell sick and passed away due to lack of vaccination. “I lost four of my six children. I don’t know why my husband disliked vaccination, but I wish he had allowed me to immunize them,” she says, her voice filled with regret.
A Glimmer of Hope
However, Saude’s story takes a positive turn when she finally convinces her husband to allow their youngest child to be vaccinated. Now 20 months old, the child is healthy and thriving. This experience has taught Saude a valuable lesson, and she urges other women to prioritize immunization for their children.
A Plea to the Community
The Village Head, Nasiru Yunusa, corroborates Saude’s story, revealing that several children in the community have died from measles due to vaccine rejection. He appealed to parents to allow their children to be immunized, emphasizing that it is crucial for their health and well-being.
Saude’s personal experience serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of immunization and the devastating consequences of vaccine rejection. Her story highlights the need for awareness and education on the benefits of vaccination, especially in rural communities.
The Village Head of Unguwar Kanawa Community, Tankarau under Dutsen Abba, Nasiru Yunusa, confirmed that about five children recently died in the community due to measles.
According to him, most of the children were from households whose parents always rejected the vaccine.
“2/ 3 of the people within the community don’t like vaccinating their children because of certain misconceptions. But today their attitude is changing because many children are fallen sick and about five died recently from measles.
“Many are sick at home all because of measles as we were told by the health workers. This is why we are now appealing to our people to allow their children to be immunized because it has no any harm as speculated.
“We are also taking the advantage to plead with the government to provide a health clinic for us in this community because the nearest PHC to this village is about 7 kilometers away.
