The Centre for Media Advocacy for Mother and Child (CAMAC), an NGO, has called on the Federal and State Governments to take steps toward preventing the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) among Almajiris and other vulnerable children in the country.

CAMAC Executive Director, Mr Alex Uanbgaoje, said in a statement in Kaduna on Tuesday that government should make a special arrangement for the almajiris and other vulnerable children who are roaming the streets.

Uanbgaoje, however, commended the federal and state governments for the proactive steps to curtail the spread of the virus by limiting human contact.

He, however, observed that none of the measures addresses the peculiar problem of the almajiris, who were always in the streets looking for what to eat.

He noted that the almajiris and other homeless children have remained helpless, vulnerable and roaming the streets without adequate care.

He appealed to federal and state governments to come up with a specific plan to cater for the interest of all vulnerable children in the streets.

According to him, any further delay will put the almajiris and street children at risk of contacting the virus, a development that will have dire consequences on the larger society.

“These children know nothing about personal hygiene and they have no access to hand sanitiser or nose and mouth mask. As such, prone to all forms of preventable diseases.

“It is, therefore, pertinent for the governments to protect them and ensure their rights to adequate healthcare.”

The director assured that as a media advocacy group, CAMAC would continue to advocate for policies and programmes that protect vulnerable women, adolescent girls and children.

He added that the NGO would particularly focus on issues around education, health and child’s rights, development and survival.

NAN