Kogi launches immunization against measles, polio

By Richard Elesho

The Kogi State Government has set a target of reaching nearly two million children aged between nine months and fourteen years in its ongoing campaign against two highly infectious and deadly diseases—measles and polio.

This was disclosed by the Executive Director of the Kogi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (KSPHCDA), Dr. Muazu Musa Omeiza, at the flag-off of the campaign in Lokoja, the state capital, on Tuesday.

Omeiza noted that the intensive campaign against Measles Rubella (MR), including the novel Oral Polio Virus (nOPV), Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination, and Routine Immunization (RI), is specifically targeted at 1,988,371 children.

The campaign runs from October 6 to 15 and enjoys the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The exercise is aimed at improving access to vaccines and increasing their use among children. It also represents a major step toward protecting young girls against cervical cancer through the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.

While inaugurating the campaign at the KSPHCDA office in Old Market, Lokoja, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo commended development partners and urged traditional and religious leaders to continue mobilizing women and children to participate in the program. He pledged his administration’s commitment to healthcare delivery.

“Routine immunization is a powerful tool to end avoidable ailments and to preserve our state. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that every child is reached,” the governor said.

The representative of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Ishola Abdulrazaq, in a goodwill message, praised Kogi State for achieving 100 percent coverage in previous immunization rounds. He also called for the recruitment of more health workers to strengthen the sector.

There was visible excitement on the faces of nursing mothers and guardians whose wards benefited from the exercise.