The World Health Organisation (WHO), has commended the Ondo State Government for its sustained eradication of measles infection in the last two years due to its robust commitment to routine immunisation.
The State Coordinator of the Organisation, Dr Akin Fatiregun, gave the commendation on Wednesday while presenting the second quarterly report of the state task force on Polio Eradication and Routine Immunisation held in Akure.
Fatiregun said that the state successfully conducted two rounds of polio vaccination, trained disease surveillance and notification officers and their assistants.
Ondo State also achieved 87 per cent target coverage for all antigens as well as procured adequate surveillance equipment better than last year.
“I urge the state government to do more on routine immunisation in some selected local governments, provide incinerators at the senatorial levels for health waste disposal.
“The need for more funding and training on polio outbreak response contingency to sustain gains against all childhood killer diseases cannot be over-emphasised,’’ he said.
Gov. Olusegun Mimiko, represented by his Deputy, Chief Lasisi Oluboyo, urged the 18 local government caretaker chairmen to always play complementary roles in ensuring that the state was free from all childhood killer diseases.
He assured that he would look into the recommendations of the report and take necessary action, stressing that with collective action, making polio a thing of the past was achievable in the country.
The State Commissioner for Heath, Dr Dayo Adeyanju commended the state government for making qualitative health care delivery one of its priorities, adding that all the stakeholders had no excuse but to succeed.
The state Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bishop Joshua Ketiku and his league of Imams counterpart, represented by Alhaji Ahmed Aladesawe commended the state government for eradicating all the childhood killer diseases and pledged their continued support in achieving more successes.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was to help the government and other stakeholders review efforts made to sustain the state’s polio free record, and eradication of all childhood killer diseases.
(NAN)
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