Bayelsa State has earned international recognition after receiving an award from the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in partnership with the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), for its outstanding achievements in immunisation and disease surveillance.
The award was presented to Governor Douye Diri during the 193rd State Executive Council meeting in Yenagoa by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Seiyefa Brisibe.
According to Brisibe, the honour followed an assessment by the Global Immunization Division of the United States Embassy, which commended Bayelsa for immunising more than 30,000 children and cutting the number of zero-dose children from 4,000 to 2,100 within one year.
He credited the feat to strategic health interventions, including the state’s partnership with Zipline, whose drone technology has improved the delivery of vaccines and essential medical supplies to remote riverine communities.
The commissioner also revealed that Bayelsa ranked first among participating states in the malaria vaccine pilot programme, while over 720 primary healthcare workers have been trained and deployed to strengthen immunisation services.
The state also introduced tricycle ambulances and integrated cottage hospitals into the primary healthcare system to improve access to healthcare.
Despite the recognition, Governor Diri challenged health officials to ensure every eligible child receives life-saving vaccines.
“While this achievement is commendable, it also tells us that about 2,000 children were yet to be immunised.
”I urge the Ministry of Health not to relent until every eligible child in Bayelsa receives life-saving vaccines, ” he said.
The governor described the award as evidence that government investments in the health sector are producing measurable results.
Bayelsa State has has also emerged among Nigeria’s top-performing states in teacher certification, placing fifth nationwide in the latest Teachers’ Professional Qualifying Examination conducted by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).
Commissioner for Education, Dr. Gentle Emelah, said the ranking reflects the state’s sustained investment in improving educational standards.
He noted that the achievement comes shortly after Bayelsa secured the top national position in NECO for the highest number of candidates who obtained five credits and above.
Governor Diri congratulated the education sector but urged teachers and administrators to aim even higher.
“Ranking fifth out of the 36 states is encouraging. It shows that we are making progress.
”However, our target should be to rank among the top three and ultimately become number one in the country.”
He stressed that the latest successes in education and health demonstrate that government policies and investments are yielding positive outcomes.
