The Kwara State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to combating childhood vaccine-preventable diseases in the state by protecting vulnerable children against deadly diseases, as reported by Voice of Nigeria.

The Deputy Governor, Mr Kayode Alabi, who chairs the Taskforce Committee on Immunisation Activities in the state, made this statement during a Taskforce meeting on Immunisation at the conference room in his office.

Mr Alabi reiterated that the state government will continue to provide immunisation and other primary healthcare interventions to fight against diseases that could affect children.

He also promised that the state government will continue to build and equip primary healthcare facilities to ensure that quality and affordable healthcare services are provided at all government-owned facilities in both rural and urban areas.

Alabi commended the Management and staff of Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency, under the leadership of the Executive Secretary, Dr. Nusirat Elelu, Development Partners and other Stakeholders, for their contributions to combating childhood diseases, especially Polio in the State.

In her presentation, Dr. Elelu, stated that the Agency has implemented several activities to protect children against diseases this year and more efforts are geared towards making such programmes successful.

She disclosed that the Federal Government introduced the Human Papilloma Virus vaccine into its routine immunization to prevent girls against cervical cancer, while Kwara topped among implementing States.

The Executive Secretary disclosed that the Agency also conducted Zero-dose mapping to track immunized and partially immunized children as well as conducted local immunization days to ramp up coverages of antigens.

Other campaigns that the Agency has implemented include: World Breast Feeding Week, conducted first round of Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) targeted at pregnant women and children below five years, distributed folic acid supplementation for pregnant women across Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs), performed food demonstration in PHCs, among others.

She however, noted some of the challenges facing the Agency during campaigns, such as the non-compliance among some migrant populations, absence of some Local Government Areas’ Chairmen at evening review meetings and lack of Local Government Area counterpart funds, among others.

Elelu called on Local Governments’ Chairmen to be committed to the immunization exercise at their various local governments so as to improve the exercise in the State.

The Executive Secretary stressed the need for LGA Chairmen to complement the State Government efforts by paying counterpart funds for sustainability of routine immunization and other primary health care programmes across the 16 Local Government Areas of the State.

Dr. Elelu appreciated the commitment, cooperation and support the Agency enjoyed from the government, partners and stakeholders, mostly, traditional leaders and religious leaders in the State and solicited for more support during the subsequent campaigns.

The meeting, which was chaired by the Deputy Governor, was attended by stakeholders in the Primary Health Care in the State as well as partnering organisations.