Lagos commences immunization of children against Polio

… Targets Over 4.8 Million Eligible Children

AgegePulse Magazine

The Lagos State Government has commenced the second round of the Year 2018 National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs), polio vaccination campaign for children age 0 to 59 months and will hold from Saturday, 30th June to Tuesday, 3rd July, 2018 at all designated centre across the State.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Primary Health Care, Dr. Olufemi Onanuga who made this known at a Flag-off ceremony to signal the commencement of the campaign at Agege Local Government Secretariat, noted that a target population of more than 4million children is expected to be covered during the vaccination campaign.

“The NIPDs would involve house-to-house, transit and fixed post teams. In all, Lagos State will mount 752 fixed posts, 4859 house-to-house and 1712 transit teams, children at home, markets, churches, mosques, major car parks and social events venues would be specifically targeted”, he said.

Onanuga added that plans have been made to implement activities that would attract children and caregivers to vaccination posts, stressing that the vaccination campaign will hold between the hours of 8am and 2pm daily for four days.

While noting that the goal of the State government is to increase the number of children between 0 and 59 months, the Special Adviser informed that the infants will receive two drops of oral polio vaccine irrespective of their previous immunization status in order to boost their herd immunity against poliomyelitis.

“To ensure the success of this year’s polio vaccination campaign, many training sessions have been conducted to strengthen the capacity of relevant health workers, the State government has equally embarked on massive media campaign involving airing of jingles, while LGA social mobilizers are moving within communities to sensitize and mobilize citizenry effectively”, he explained.

Onanuga stressed further that town announcement, community dialogue, mosque and church announcement, carrying out sensitization programmes in schools and advocacy meetings with LGA Chairmen, Ward Councillors, Supervisory Councillors for Health, and key traditional and religious leaders have been and are being carried out.

While appealing to parent and caregiver to ensure that all the children in Lagos between 0 and 59 months received two oral drops of polio vaccine during this campaign, the Special Adviser declared that the vaccination service is free, the vaccine is safe and effective, and is to be administered to the children irrespective of their previous immunization status.

Said he “I hereby seize this opportunity to encourage our parents and caregivers to ensure that their children and wards are taken to the primary health care clinics to receive the vaccine and all other scheduled immunizations. This campaign is another window of opportunity to protect our children from vaccine-preventable diseases”.

Onanuga, who noted that the responsibility to vaccinate all eligible children against measles is not that of the parents and caregivers alone, averred that the responsibility rests on everybody to ensure that children are fully immunized against childhood preventable diseases.

“The State government is particularly interested in the health of the children and as such is prepared to carry out any activity that will ensure that their right to health is attained. Polio is one of the major killer diseases of children under the age of five years which can be prevented by vaccination”, the Special Adviser posited.

We're happy with the success of the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week - Mrs Egunjobi

AgegePulse Magazine


Wife of the Executive Chairman of Agege Local Government, Mrs Ramat Egunjobi is elated about the success recorded in the just concluded Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week organised by the council.

Mrs Egunjobi said judging by the evaluation reports received from healthcare workers across the Public Health Centres in Agege, it was proven beyond doubt that Agege mothers are passionate about the well being of their infants and foetus.

"We are happy with the way our mothers took advantage of the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week. We had positive reports that they cooperated with our healthcare givers who moved round the communities to administer vaccination on our infant children."

"Also, reports from all our Public Health Centers showed that nursing mothers trooped out enmass to receive medical attention from the health workers.

"I can assure you that the well being of everybody in Agege is on top of many dividends of democracy that the leadership of Agege LGA has in plan. With your support and prayers, it would be a success story in the end." Mrs Egunjobi concluded.

Earlier, while declaring the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week open, the Executive Chairman of Agege LGA, Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi reiterated that one of the cardinal objectives of his administration is to provide qualitative health care delivery services to all constituents in Agege Local Government.

Egunjobi said the MNCH week was designed to provide preventive, promotive and protective health interventions which include Ante-natal care services for pregnant women, provision of insecticidal nets, deworming of children, provision of family planning services and Cancer screening services. Thereby, reducing the burden of diseases, maternal and childhood mortality.