We plan to immunise 400,000 children during MNCH week —Oyo commissioner

Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr Azeez Adeduntan had said that no less than 400,000 children would benefit from the state’s Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, MNCH, week to give free immunisation, Vitamin A supplementation and deworming tablets.

Dr Adeduntan, at the flag off of the week long exercise at Ibadan North East Local Government, on Tuesday, said women during the exercise are also to benefit from free tetanus toxoid vaccination.

He said 2,808 health personnel and 351 town announcers have been trained for the exercise and ready to deliver these interventions in all the local government councils in the state.

The commissioner added that logistics support and other required commodities have been provided to ensure that even in the hard-to-reach areas are covered.

According to him, “we want to cover even the hitherto unreached areas in Oyo North, Oke Ogun 1 and Oke Ogun , because that is where most of these deaths of women and children occur.”

The Commissioner, urging mothers to avail themselves and their children of these services at the nearest government health centre to them, assured that the vaccines, vitamin A supplements and deworming tablets were safe.

According to him, “This is to lessen maternal mortality and infant mortality rates in Nigeria. We have found that immunisation of children below the age of five helps in preventing the incidence of many diseases like tetanus, tuberculosis and diphtheria. Also many children die because they have stunted growth. So during this exercise, they will be given vitamin A supplementation.”

Caretaker Chairman, Ibadan East Local Council Development Area, Prince Gbade Lana said community development leaders and mobilisers have been working to ensure that people can benefit from the week-long exercise that is being supported with funds from Saving One Million Lives Programme for Results.

Oyo State UNICEF representative, Dr Olalotiti Lawal, who lauded the effort to ensure children in the state were healthy, urged especially, fathers to ensure their children have all their immunisations.

Dr Olufunmi Kolude, the WHO’s representative also asked women in the reproductive age group to ensure they take five doses of tetanus toxoid vaccine to ensure they are protected for life.

According to her, due to advancements in medicine, women and children need not die from preventable causes if they avail themselves of available services that the exercise is offering.