The country representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Wondimagegnehu Alemu, has commended Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for nurturing the sustained health programmes that have made Enugu State polio-free.
Alemu made the assertion at the Enugu State zonal immunization campaign tour organized recently by the wife of the governor, Mrs. Monica Ugwuanyi, in collaboration with the organization in Nsukka, Udi and Nkwo Nike respectively.
The country representative who was represented by the state coordinator, Mrs. Angela Izuegbune, said: “WHO has to express its appreciation to the present administration in Enugu State under His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for providing us with the conducive environment to operate in the state.
“When the administration came on board, Enugu State was 65 percent in immunization, but now Enugu State is 89 percent in immunization rate. In 2016, the immunization survey conducted in the country placed Enugu State on third position and first in South-East, we hope that with the rate His Excellency and his wife are going, before they leave office in 2023 Enugu State will achieve the required 95 percent on the immunization target.”
He also eulogised Mrs. Ugwuanyi for her pet project Ugo Touch for Life (U-TOLF) which he noted has positively affected the lives of society’s vulnerable people.
“We have to commend Mrs. Monica Ugwuanyi for her selflessness to humanity, especially women and the vulnerable. Our mummy has empowered many people through scholarship, skill acquisition, free health care services, health enlightenment programmes like hand-washing campaign, dietary lectures, among others,” he noted.
He urged women to avail themselves of the opportunity provided by the Enugu State governor by giving their children adequate immunization.
Mrs. Ugwuanyi allayed fears that the monkey pox virus could be contracted through immunization.
“We are here because of what we read in the social media that monkey pox is caused by immunization. It is a lie, monkey pox has no connection with immunization. It is our duty to immunize our children properly. It is very agonizing when we see children suffering from polio or other diseases associated with non-immunization. So it is very important to complete the five immunization programme as specified,” she counseled.
She also implored the women to attend hospitals for antenatal care during pregnancy and ensure their babies were delivered at recognized health institutions.
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