Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke on Friday flagged off the National Immunization Plus Days, NIPDs, exercise for babies between ages of 0-59 months with a view to promoting the welfare of children in the State.
At the flag off ceremony which took place at Ayegbaju International market , Osogbo, the governor who was represented by his deputy , Prince Kola Adewusi said, it is the right of every child to receive immunization against polio disease in the state.
He enjoined every nursing mother to get their children vaccinated as well as give the medical teams that will be carrying out the exercise maximum cooperation.
“I am delight that Osun State has taking a leading position in the committee of states in Nigeria where such vaccination is being carried out ,a development which has earned Osun state a good mention and an award in December 2022.
“I want to appreciate the National Primary Health Care Development Agency with the support of partners like World Health Organisation(WHO), UNICEF, AFENET among others for their unwavering support towards providing quality health care delivery services to reduce child and maternal diseases and death rate”, the Governor concluded.
In his remarks ,the State Commissioner for Health, Hon. Jola Akintola said the provision of good and qualitative health is being accorded priority by the Ademola Adeleke led administration as was evident in the first round of Imole Free Medical and Surgical outreach carried out this year where over 22,000 residents of Osun State benefited in the first round with another 15,000 in the second.
The Chairman, Osun State Primary Health Care Board, Hon. Adisa Tajudeen (Tejuade) used the occasion to appreciate the religious and traditional leaders, market women association and nursing mothers in the state for their shared commitment, collective efforts, determination and cooperation towards ensuring that no child in the state falls victim to the preventable scourge.
The exercise, which is aimed at giving two drops of the novel Oval Polio Vaccine, OPV, to children within age 0 to 59 months, irrespective of their previous immunisation status, is scheduled to hold between September 30 and October 2, 2023.
