BENIN CITY- The World Health Organization (WHO) has praised Edo State Government for it’s initiative and drive which has led to the revitalization of the Primary Health Care(PHC) system and staff capacity development in the state.

Edo State Coordinator of the WHO in the state, Faith Ireye, disclosed this when Governor Godwin Obaseki officially flagged off the 2019 National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs) campaign at the Specialist Hospital, Benin.

She said Edo State has been able to achieve a polio free status for about 10 years now.

She said, “We will continue to work with the state to sustain the progress made so far and even step up the fight in eradicating polio and other vaccine preventable diseases.”

She stressed the need for immunization against poliomyelitis and other vaccine preventable diseases through administration of oral polio vaccine and other routine antigens.

If the vaccination, surveillance status is maintained without an outbreak of polio by September, 2019, Ireye said Nigeria will be certified polio free.

Speaking on behalf of Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon Comrade Philip Shaibu stated that the state was poised to eradicate polio and other vaccine preventable diseases prevalent in children 0-5 years old through activities of the polio campaign, running this year from July 20-23 in the state.

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The Governor stated that on a yearly basis, this activity is carried out to complement PHC facilities in Edo State which already has a coverage of 93% as at 2018.

According to him, the state was making a 100% target at immunization through the National Immunization Plus Days (NIPD), in line with Edo Health Improvement Programme (Edo-HIP).

As part of the activities, the representative of the governor later administered oral polio vaccines on babies.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Osanwonyi Irowa thanked the governor for the support to health programmes, especially immunization.

The governor’s intervention, he stated, has helped at sustaining a polio free status for Edo state for children of 0-59 month old kids.

He called on parents to boost the immunity of their wards children by making them available for the antigen which is not harmful in nature, adding that vaccinators move from house to house, or stationed at temporary fixed posts and at health facilities in all the eighteen local government areas of the state.