Adewale Banjo
Regional Director for Africa, World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, has sunderscored the need for increased human and financial investment in immunisation as a fundamental part of strengthening primary healthcare system.
Moeti, who was represented by the Ogun State Coordinator, Dr. Sunday Abidoye, said there is the need to move from commitment to action by increasing domestic investment in immunisation and strengthening access to vaccines in hard to reach areas and communities, charging all stakeholders to keep immunisation on their agendas.
He said vaccines are one of the most effective public health interventions available.
On his part, Executive Secretary, Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr. Elijah Ogunsola, called on parents, caregivers, religious and community leaders to embrace vaccination in order to prevent childhood killer diseases.
He made the call during a health talk to Mark the 2019 African Vaccination Week with the theme: “Protected Together, Vaccines Work,” at Oke Ilewo Health Centre, Abeokuta.
Ogunsola said the essence of the week was to call the attention of parents, caregivers, religious and community leaders on the need to work together and ensure all children from age 0 to five were immunised, saying unvaccinated children were a potential danger in the health of the others as they could still be infected with preventable diseases.
He noted that according to National Health Information Survey, the state had a marked reduction in under-five death compared to other years, adding that the state had not recorded any vaccine preventable diseases such as yellow fever, measles and tuberculosis.
In their separate remarks, state Coordinator, National Primary Health Care Agency and Immunisation Officer, Olatunde Adebiyi and Suraj Olayinka, opined that some diseases conditions were better prevented through immunisation and urged parents and caregivers to give priority to the vaccination of their children and wards.