By Olaitan Ibrahim
Moved by the intention to vaccinate substantial number of children against measles, the Ogun State Government has deployed canoes, boats and other means of transport to cover riverine areas in Ogun Waterside and Tongeji in Ipokia Local Government.
The State Government has also concluded plans to deploy over 5,000 health personnel to various areas of the State for its 2024 measles campaign with a view to immunising approximately 1,136,953 children between the ages of 9 months and 5 years across the 236 Electoral Wards and 20 Local Government Areas of the State.
Speaking at a Press Conference held to herald Ogun State’s Implementation of 2024 Integrated Measles Campaign on Thursday, Tomi Coker, Commissioner for Health, noted that the intention to deploy canoes, boats and other means of transport was to cover the riverine areas and hard-to-reach places in the State.
While saying that the 7-day measles immunisation exercise will start on Saturday, October 19 and end on Friday, October 25, 2024, the Commissioner said that the importance of measles vaccination prompted the Government’s rigorous efforts to immunise children, adding that the unvaccinated children ran the risk of developing blindness, brain damage and high fever that could cause seizures and deformity.
“The campaign conducted two years ago in the State, led to a marked reduction in the number of confirmed measles cases from 118 as of October 2022 to 15 in the same period in 2024. There has also been a drop of Yellow Fever confirmed cases from 3 in October 2022 to zero confirmed cases in the same period in 2024, according to WHO, Ogun State”, Coker noted.
The commissioner, while noting that immunisation is free, urged parents and caregivers to take advantage of the initiative by taking their children to designated centres across the 236 Electoral Wards and 20 Local Government Areas in the State.
“I would also like to inform you that the campaign will involve the use of government health facilities (primary, secondary and tertiary), churches, mosques, markets, schools, parks and garages, and other designated temporary fixed posts.
“I am using this medium to call on parents and caregivers to take advantage of the campaign by taking their children 9 months to 59 months to get their children vaccinated against this killer but preventable disease, namely measles. The vaccine is safe, effective and free of charge”, she said.
Elijah Ogunsola, the Executive Secretary, Ogun State Primary Healthcare Development Board, who later conveyed a Stakeholders’ meeting, urged participants to use their various platforms to spread correct and accurate information on the importance of the vaccination campaign aimed at protecting the lives of children.
In their separate remarks, Victoria Adebiyi, the State Coordinator, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency and Florence Moloku, UNICEF Consultant, Vaccine Security and Logistics (VSL), sought full support for the exercise in order to achieve desired result of 95% coverage with no eligible child left unimmunised.
Responding, Saliu Akewugberu, the representative of private schools and Fatai Bello, a community leader, commended the State Government efforts in the area of health and children’s well-being, promising to do their best to support and ensure a seamless and successful exercise.