As part of measures to prevent deaths from vaccine preventable diseases among children, the Delta State Government has called on Deltans, especially parents, to make their children available for the next round of immunization slated to commence in the State in March, 2024
The Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme made the call yesterday in Asaba when the Delta State Team on immunization from the State Primary Health Care Development Agency and Partners paid him an advocacy visit.
Dr. Onojaeme said the Agency in collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development and Partner Agencies such as the World Health Organization and UNICEF, would jointly fund the exercise that targets about 1.2m children in the State, adding that a situation where there is a functional primary health care system in place, as it is in Delta State, the health indices would certainly experience upward improvement.
He also stated that the administration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori does not take lightly any effort geared towards improving the health condition of Deltans and residents alike, and assured the Team that the State Government will give all necessary support to ensure that immunization activities in the State are successfully carried out.
Earlier, the Executive Director, Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Paul Yinkore, said that the purpose of the visit was to intimate the Health Commissioner on the forthcoming Four Rounds of the 2024 Polio Outbreak Response, and the introduction of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine into the National Programme on Immunization
According to Dr. Yinkore, the Agency in collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development and Partner Agencies such as the World Health Organization and UNICEF, would jointly fund the exercise that targets about 1.2m children in the State.
He said that as part of measures to get the buy-in of residents with respect to the forthcoming immunization activities, the Team had also paid advocacy visits to the Commissioner, State Ministry of Information, and the Leadership of the State Traditional Council.
According to the Agency’s Executive Director, the Polio Round 1 Outbreak Response will take place between 2nd and 5th of March, 2024, while the HPV vaccine introduction would commence tentatively 6th of March, 2024.
