Wife of the State Governor, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun has affirmed the present administration’s commitment to eradicate transmission of the Wild and Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Virus among children, as well as ensure optimal health care for all citizens.
Mrs. Abiodun, said this during the flag-off ceremony of the First Round 2020 National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs), held at Family Health Centre, Oke Ilewo, Abeokuta, noting that this could be achieved through regular health interventions programmes.
She assured that the regular campaigns of NIPDs were paramount in ensuring progress was sustained in curtailing the transmission of Polio virus among children of under-five years, noting that the State had not recorded any case of the disease in the last ten years.
"Our dear State in the last ten years has not recorded any wild or circulating vaccine derived polio virus at all. To consolidate on the gains achieved, last year, the year 2020 first round will be conducted in the State", she noted.
In her remark, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Adesanya Ayinde, advised mothers and caregivers to avail their children and wards the opportunity of the exercise, noting that it would go a long way at ensuring that the State remained Polio free.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr. Elijah Ogunsola, said that children, ages 0-59 months would be vaccinated with two drops of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), adding that the vaccines were safe and potent.
He explained that the programme would begin from Saturday, February 15 through Tuesday, 18, 2020, while routine immunization would also be administered to children at government facilities across the State during the period, free of charge, saying vaccinating teams would be moving from house to house, markets, churches and mosques.
In their separate goodwill messages, the representatives, World Health Organization, Dr. Sunday Abidoye; Rotary International, Dr. Festus Adetonwa; Africa Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), Dr. Samuel Abbott; United Nations Children Emergency Fund, Mrs. Florence Molokwu and the State Coordinator, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Olatunde Adebiyi, commended the State Government for the exercise, enjoining mothers and caregivers to inform others in their various communities to bring their children and wards for vaccination.
Earlier in his address, Chairman Transition Committee, Abeokuta South Local Government, Hon. Ayodeji Somide, appreciated the present administration for the various health programmes and interventions, which he said, were focused on improving the wellbeing of children.
Speaking on behalf of mothers, Mrs. Olusola Anuoluwapo and Mojirade Hafeez, gave kudos to the State Government for making the health of children paramount in its agenda.
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