BENIN CITY- Edo State Governor is expected to inaugurate this year’s1st round of National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs) today, Friday, March13, 2015 at the Immunization Unit of Central Hospital, Benin City.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. (Mrs)Aihanuwa Eregie who disclosed this yesterday while briefing the press on the programme lined up for this year first national immunization exercise said that the programme is scheduled to commence tomorrow Saturday March 14-17,2015.
According to her, NIPDs is a strategy designed to ensure that every child, 0-59 months of age is given the Oral Polo Vaccine, including BCG, Yellow Fever Vaccine, Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PVC) and the Pentavalant Vaccine.
She said that there is no cure for polio, but it can be prevented saying that the best protection against Polio disease is through Vaccine and other effective control measures, including exclusive breast feed during the first 6 months of the child’s life, good nutrition and environmental sanitation.
Nigeria, she added has recorded remarkable progress in the fight against Polio, with no wild Polio case recorded since July, 2014.
According to her, the country is currently implementing the Endgame Strategic Plan towards eradicating Polio as a way of consolidating on the gains so far made.
Dr. Eregie further disclosed that Edo State has been Polio-free since March 2009,while enjoining all to become advocate and join in the fight for Polio eradication.
Appealing to mothers and Caregivers to embrace the immunization programme by brining out all children in the target age group for immunization, she emphasized that Oral Polio Vaccine and Inactivated Polio vaccine are, safe and free.
While, Dr. (Mrs) Aihanuwa Eregie has reemphasized that the State Sickle Cell Centre, Benin City was not established to be another hospital, rather was established for counselling, health education, advocacy and research for Sickle Cell anaemia,
The Commissioner made this clarification while reacting to the allegations made by the Sickle Cell Sufferers who again, staged demonstration to the centre demanding that the Centre be run as hospital with 24 hour services.
Dr. Eregie who was disturbed with repeated demonstration of the Sickle Cell Sufferers emphasized that the Centre was never established to be a hospital neither was it registered, equipped or staffed to be a hospital”.
She posted that the Centre will continue to render services to the Sickle Cell patients in accordance with the law establishing it, pointing out that no amount of intimidation would compel the Centre to operate otherwise, until the law is amended.
Reacting to the call by the Sickle Cell Sufferers that the Commissioner and Permanent Secretary should vacate part of the building they are presently using as offices, she advised that the building belongs to Government and the Centre is under the Ministry of Health, saying the Commissioner and Permanent Secretary vacating the building will not make the Centre run as a hospital.
She, however, advised the demonstrators remain calm and see reason with the Ministry as well as avoid being used by some persons for selfish interest, according to her, Edo State Government is very much committed to the health needs of its citizens.