Ahead dry season, Oyo govt sensitises against Lassa fever, Diphtheria, other diseases

Wary of the peculiarities of the dry season, the Oyo State Government has begun sensitising various communities in the state against five priority diseases: Lassa fever, COVID-19, diphtheria, cholera, and anthrax.

The community sensitisation, flagged off by the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, at Kajola Local Government Area of the State, is to take place in 10 local government areas and markets in Ibadan, the state capital.

Listed for the sensitization as priority local government areas are Kajola, Iseyin, Iwajowa, Oorelope, Itesiwaju, Irepo, Atisbo, Saki East, Saki West, and Olorunsogo, as well as markets in Ibadan metropolis.

During the flag-off, Ajetunmobi stressed that many of the diseases were preventable if people ensured they lived in a clean environment, had a clean source of water, ate healthy, properly covered their food, adhered to a balanced diet, and had a good disposal system.

The commissioner also dispelled misconceptions regarding immunisation, stressing that vaccination and regular medical check-ups are beneficial for health and wellbeing.

She noted that the recurrence of some diseases was because people did not complete the vaccine as prescribed.

Ajetunmobi also noted that prompt checking of health aid prevention and early detection, which, she noted, was key in containing outbreaks and providing timely treatment,

She assured that the state government was committed to equipping and fixing more primary health care centres to ensure residents in the nooks and crannies of the state have quick access to health care.

Also, in a bid to ensure that residents are in good health, she said the state would commence the maternal and child health week for vaccination and other services next Monday.

This, she said, is to ensure children, mothers, and pregnant women have access to free health care services.

Recalling that last year, Kajola had records of Lassa fever, Director/Secretary, Kajola Local Government Health Authority, Okeho, Mr Abayomi Kolawole, noted that the sensitization would prevent a recurrence of the priority diseases in the local government area this year.

Kolawole stressed the importance of health education on personal hygiene and environmental sanitation.

He appealed to residents of the Kajola community to embrace immunisation as a preventive measure against childhood killer diseases such as diphtheria, tuberculosis, measles, and meningitis.

Speaking, State Coordinator, World Health Organisation (WHO), Dzorto Philips, stressed the need for people to wash their hands before and after eating, keep their surroundings clean, and take immunisation seriously.

The event had in attendance representatives of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Breakthrough Action Nigeria, the APIN Public Health Initiative, local government areas, and the traditional system.

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