Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state has promised that his administration will not rest on its oars until the state achieves 100 percent immunisation coverage, especially at the grassroots level.
Akeredolu made this known Monday at the flag-off of this month’s round of National Immunisation Plus Days (NIPDs) in Akure.
The governor was represented at the occasion by the state commissioner for health, Dr Wahab Adegbenro. He said his administration had consistently supported immunisation activities, adding that this had made the state to rank among the best in the country.
The governor said the result of the unwavering commitment is the great improvement in routine immunization, which has taken the state from 68 percent in 2018 to 86 percent in 2019, saying this is above the national benchmark for performance.
“The target of Ondo state is 100 percent, as the failure of one child to take the oral polio vaccine and other vaccination is a collective failure and looming danger for the immunity and public health space of the state, “ he said.
The governor noted that the regular funding of the primary healthcare agency and its activities had brought about great reduction in the neonatal as well as under-five children mortality and morbidity. He commended the stakeholders for their support and for accepting the health interventions of the government, while urging them to step up intensive mobilisation activities.
The UNICEF representative, Mr Tunde Ayoade, who spoke on behalf of the development partners, commended the governor and his team for their support and mobilisation of the grassroots to embrace polio eradication initiatives and other routine immunisation.
Ayoade encouraged mothers and caregivers to ensure that their children and wards were immunised against polio and other preventable childhood killer diseases.
The executive secretary of the state Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Francis Akanbiemu, appreciated the governor for prioritising primary healthcare and for funding its activities which, he said, had resulted in improvement in immunisation activities. Akanbiemu also lauded the state House of Assembly for signing into law the bill establishing the state Primary Healthcare Development Agency.
