Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has flagged off the 2019 National Immunisation Plus Days, NIPDs, in the state with a charge to the 23 caretaker committee chairmen to replicate same in their domains.
The Governor, who performed the ceremony at LGEA Primary School Odessassa, Ugbokolo, said the state had made tremendous progress in the fight against Polio, recording a zero case since 2009 through the commitment of government, stakeholders and partners.
Ortom, therefore, urged all the chairmen to give adequate support to the programme to ensure that every child was immunised and protected against poliomyelitis.
He disclosed that the state had already made available N100 Million as counterpart to kick-start the Basic Health Care Provision Fund implementation in the state, pointing out that the permanent office complex for the Benue State Primary Health Care Board would soon be ready for occupation.
Gov. Ortom urged health workers to ensure wide coverage of the exercise assuring that the security situation in the various local government areas of the state had improved.
Also, Senator representing Benue South in the Senate, Abba Moro expressed appreciation to the Governor for flagging off the exercise in the area, pointing out that the counterpart funding which the state had contributed would go a long way towards ensuring provision of basic health care to the hinterlands.
Executive Secretary of the state Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Bem Ageda said the huge financial support of the Governor to the Board was not in vain as much had been achieved in the area through effective collaboration with partner agencies.
He urged parents and guardians to ensure that all children below five years were vaccinated, stressing that they should also report any missed child or household to health workers and vaccination team for prompt attention.
Representative of World Health Organization, WHO, Mrs. Chigbo Ogechukwu commended Benue State Government for showing great commitment to immunization and other child survival programmes.
She therefore solicited for support in the area of a standard cold chain for transportation and preservation of vaccines in the local government areas of the state.
