Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on Friday, flagged off the
2017 National Immunisation Plus Days (NIPDs) at New Benin Market, in Benin, the
Edo State Capital.
Addressing the women at the market, Mr. Governor Obaseki stressed
the importance of immunisation, urging them to get their children up to 5 years
of age immunised.
The Governor said that his administration was committed to
strengthening immunisation activities as it provided a holistic approach to the
prevention of diseases through vaccination, thereby reducing infant and child
mortality.
He said, “I understand that the state achieved 76% immunisation
coverage as at February this year. I want to assure you that my administration
will make it 100% by improving health service delivery in the state”.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health; Dr Peter
Ugbodaga said that the NIPDs would complement the routine immunisation programme
in the state.
He also revealed that the choice of flagging off the programme in
a market was to ensure that no child was omitted as the health team moves from
house to house.
He advised parents, especially mothers, to allow their wards
receive immunisation noting that unimmunised children would predispose the
state to outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases.
In addition, the governor revealed that the government was working
to improve health and living standards in the state.
"We are commencing the implementation of the Save a Million
Lives Programme in the state to ensure that maternal and infant mortality is
reduced. We intend to set up a telephone line to allow people report cases of
childbirth, and ensure that immunisation follows for the children. We want to
also ensure that every market has a primary health care centre with a nurse and
necessary facilities and also provide water in our markets as a way of reducing
health challenges", he said.
Meanwhile, the Edo State Coordinator of the World Health
Organisation, Faith Ireye, commended the state for sustaining a Polio-free
state for the past seven years.
She said that the Organisation would continue to collaborate with
the state to ensure that children lived healthy lives.
She, however, called for more collective responsibility among
stakeholders to ensure the eradication of Polio, noting that Nigeria, Pakistan
and Afghanistan were the only three countries in the world, endemic to the
disease.
She added that the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization
(GAVI) would be winding up its support for immunisation, calling on governments
to start planning on how to take responsibility of the immunisation programme.
REPORT BY KINGSLEY
UCHEGBU
