Spread immunisation gospel, Akeredolu charges

By Adebola Omotoye
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Ondo State governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has tasked stakeholders in the health sector not to be tired of spreading and actualising the gospel of immunisation.

Akeredolu stated this yesterday at the 2019 second quarter meeting of the state taskforce on polio eradication and routine immunisation in Akure.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Mr Agboola Ajayi said that primary health care remains a priority of his administration, promising to continue investing in the basic necessities.

Akeredolu said as a responsible and responsive government more primary health care workers would be employed to boost the capacity of primary health care to deliver more.

“We are here because we know that prevention is better than cure and that efficient use of vaccines against vaccine preventable diseases are the only sure and effective way of securing the future of our children.

“Particularly those that are under five years of age from all the deadly and dreadful preventable diseases, including the popular Poliomyelitis.

“We should all continue to build upon our collective stand and strong belief that immunisation is a gospel we must not be weary of spreading and actualising.

“One wrong step in the planning and implementation of immunisation activities can cost the state the limbs or lives of hundreds of thousands of our future leaders,” he said.

Akeredolu also revealed that the state had conducted Outbreak Response (OBR) I and II and Reactive Yellow Fever Vaccine Campaign (RYFVC) in May,June and July respectively.

“Immunisation data showed that there is a marked improvement in the coverage of all the antigens as compared with the result of the first quarter of the year.

“The Penta-3 coverage for the quarter under review (April-June 2019) is 79 per cent as compared with 76 per cent in the first quarter 2019,” he said.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Wahab Adegbenro said stakeholders from the state primary agency and others in the health sector do meet to meet the set target of the Federal Government to eradicate Polio.

Adegbenro said there were significant improvement in the performance of the state in most indicators of primary health care activities assessed by WHO and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.