The Oyo State government has declared its commitment to guaranteeing that all eligible citizens and children, irrespective of their location, have access to life-saving immunisations.
Oyo State Deputy Governor Barrister Bayo Lawal, who made this disclosure at the opening of the immunisation task force committee meeting in Oyo State, said immunisation remains one of the most effective public health interventions to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, save lives, and contribute to national development.
Barrister Lawal, who noted that vaccines alone do not save lives, but vaccination does, said it was critical to continue to engage communities, build trust, and break down barriers to immunisation.
He therefore urged the stakeholders at the meeting to take a holistic look at immunisation in the state, identify gaps, design sustainable strategies and be committed to action that will ensure that no child or community is left behind.
Barrister Lawal said identified challenges on vaccine hesitancy in the state are being tackled through community engagement to promote immunisation awareness and disperse myths surrounding vaccines, upgrading primary healthcare centres to improve accessibility and service delivery, and improving access to essential health services without out-of-pocket expenses through the basic healthcare provision fund, as well as improved data collection to improve real-time action.
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According to him, “Our administration has made primary healthcare revitalisation a top priority. We have invested significantly in infrastructure, human resources, and logistics for immunisation services across the 33 local government areas of our state.
“However, we know that challenges remain, from vaccine hesitancy to logistic bottlenecks and sometimes even lapses in community mobilisation. This is why your role as stakeholders, health professionals, traditional rulers, community leaders, religious leaders, development partners, and media practitioners cannot be overemphasised.
“You are the trusted voices of our people, and your engagement is critical to bridging the gap between policy and practice. Let us identify gaps in coverage and design, and sustainable strategies, and commit ourselves to action. We must ensure that no child, no community is left behind.”
Executive Secretary of Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, Dr Muideen Olatunji, who gave an update on immunisation in Oyo State, said 480,000 girls were vaccinated against HPV in the last HPV campaign and 64 per 64percent of children under one year were fully immunised in the first quarter of 2025, although the vaccination coverage varies across the different LGAs.
Dr Olatunji highlighted identified challenges in vaccination in the state, which include vaccine hesitancy, especially in rural communities; human resources for health; hard-to-reach communities; vaccine stockouts; and group rejection of vaccination from foreigners (Egede’s), Fulani and religious fanatics in Lagelu and Orire local government areas.
World Health Organisation representative Dr Philips Zorto, in a remark, appreciated Oyo State’s political support for vaccination and urged that the local government chairmen also chair the immunisation task force meeting and support its implementation and review meetings.
He stated that this will go a long way in ensuring that President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Ministry of Health’s pronouncement that the transmission of the wild poliovirus will be interrupted this year is achieved in Oyo State.
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