The Ekiti State Primary Health Care Development Agency (EKSPHCDA) has solicited the support of critical stakeholders in the state towards achieving 95 percent coverage in the forthcoming measles vaccination for children.
The Director General of the Agency, Dr. Ayodele Seluwa, who spoke on Integrated Measles Campaign in Ado-Ekiti at a stakeholders meeting on Friday, said the vaccination campaign exercise would run between 5th – 11th October, 2024.
He added that all healthcare facilities in the State would be opened and that all their teams would be available across the state to vaccinate all eligible children between the age of 9-month to 59-months.
He noted that the measles vaccine would be administered in primary health care facilities, schools, religious centres in communities across the State.
He explained that the meeting was geared towards sensitising the stakeholders on the need to partner the agency in carrying out the campaign against measles in the state.
He said, “This is part of the activities where we have to discuss with stakeholders. We want to educate them on why we have to come out with this particular program. Immunization program usually gets to the grassroots and communities to prevent them from infections.
“We have to educate them to make sure that mothers bring their children out for immunization. They are going to work with our team to educate the people on the reasons why we are doing the vaccination.”
Also speaking, the representative of the United Nations Children Fund, (UNICEF) Mrs Yetunde Akinyosoye, urged the stakeholders to support the agency towards ensuring the success of the vaccination exercise in the state.
She equally tasked the community leaders to assist the agency in creating more awareness campaigns to the people of their various communities on the need to make their eligible childrens available for the week-long vaccination exercise in the interest of their future.
The representative of Association of Ekiti Traditional Chieftaincy Title Holders, Chief Simon Esan, the Odofin of Iyin-Ekiti said the traditional institution will join hands with the agency to fight against measles in the state.
The participants were drawn from the 16 local governments of the State including; traditional institution, religious leaders, market women leaders, community based groups, health educators, Women Affairs, National Orientation Agency, Area Educational Officers, amongst others.
