As part of efforts to intensify and encourage mothers and caregivers to embrace Routine Immunisation (RI) as an assured means of eradicating preventable childhood diseases, the wife of the State Governor, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun in collaboration with Procter and Gamble has flagged off the Routine Immunisation Intensification Project (RIIP) with distribution of Diapers to children in all Primary Health facilities across the state.
In a ceremony held at Primary Health Centre, Igbogila, Yewa North Local Government, the First lady identified lack of incentives, poor access to facilities and poverty as some of the reasons for the low uptake of RI services, saying the present administration had provided the diapers to sustain the progress made so far in the eradication of polio and other vaccine preventable diseases amongst children.
" Let me reiterate at this point that this is a noble initiative to encourage our caregivers and mothers to embrace routine immunization as an assured means of sustaining the progress we have made so far in polio eradication and certification " she said.
Mrs Abiodun noted that RI coverage in the state which stood at an high 85% was low compared to the national average of 90% hence the need to intensify efforts to improve the uptake, affirming that the state government would not relent in its responsibilities to promote the health and well being of the people.
She stated that regular supplemental immunization campaigns as well as the Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) were some of the strategies put in place to ensure that over 1 million and 1.5 million pregnant women were vaccinated and supplemented with Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) and Vitamin A, adding that about 40 health facilities would soon be renovated and equipped for optimum primary healthcare service delivery
Speaking, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Ayinde Adesanya enjoined mothers and caregivers to embrace routine immunization, saying vaccines are safe, effective and free in all government health facilities across the state.
Also speaking, the Chairman, House Committee on Health, Honorable Adegoke Adeyanju Awoso
urged people in the communities to unite for the progress and improvement in provision of basic health care especially in uptake of immunization services, assuring that the present administration of Prince Dapo Abiodun remained committed to fulfilling his campaign promises.
The Director (Africa), Government Relations and Public Policy, Procter and Gamble, Mrs. Temitope Iluyemi commended the efforts of government to improve the health of children and women, adding that the company was ready to partner with the state in providing jobs for its youth population and in all developmental agendas.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman , Transition Committee, Yewa North Local Government, Honorable Babatunde Bankole appreciate d the state government for flagging off the Routine Immunisation Intensification Project, noting that it would in no small ways impact positively on the lives children and women.
In their separate remarks on behalf of mothers and Caregivers at the event, Mrs. Fadipe Fatimo and Agbaosi Ayodele both expressed appreciation to the state government for the incentives, saying that it would go a long way at encouraging others to immunize their children and wards, thereby improving the uptake of RI across the state.
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