Avail your children of immunisation, Obaseki urges parents, guardians

Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo has called on parents and guardians to ensure their children will participate in this year’s National Immunisation Plus Days (NIPDs) Africa Vaccination Week.

Obaseki, represented by his deputy, Mr Philip Shaibu, made the call in Benin on Friday during the flag-off of the 2018 First Round National Immunisation Week.

He said that the flag-off ceremony was meant to sensitise the people of the state on the importance of immunising the children against child-killer diseases that were preventable with vaccines.

The governor said that his government placed high premium on Primary Health Care, saying that it was regrettable to see future leaders suffering from preventable diseases which often led to death.

Obaseki said that the state had not recorded any case of Polio since 2009.

He said that he would continue to implement strategies and activities that would ensure that “every child is vaccinated and immunised’’.

The governor said that his administration would continue to strengthen immunisation activities and would provide a holistic approach to prevention of vaccine-preventable diseases, thereby reducing infant and child morbidity and mortality.

Earlier, the Edo National Facilitator with World Health Organisation (WHO), Mrs Kate Ogiugo, gave an assurance to the state government that no child would be left out.

She said that every eligible child in the state would be vaccinated.

Ogiugo appealed to all parents to bring their children for the vaccination, saying that the vaccines were effective and safe for children.