BY SAM DUVWODE
Delta State Deputy Governor, Sir Monday Onyeme has assured that the state government is committed to the Revitalization of Primary Health Care Centers to provide quality health care services through a 24 hour circle.
According to him, a good number of PHC Centers are earmarked for the initial phase and other existing PHC Centers will be reached as the government embarks on the project.
Sir Onyeme gave the assurance, yesterday, during the flag-off ceremony of the 2024 Integrated Measles (Supplemental Immunization) Vaccination Campaign held at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba. Sir Onyeme, who disclosed that the government is committed towards the protection of children against measles noted that, the measles vaccination campaign was informed by the fact that Measles outbreak remained a persistent challenge due to general low vaccination coverage, misinformation, and barriers of access to health care services. According to him; “We are called upon to reverse this trend and ensure that the primary objective of this campaign is to achieve a high herd immunity in the population of Delta State. Knowing that measles disease is still with us and that it affects, especially, our children who are less than 59 months (5 years of age) causing high morbidity and mortality, we must protect them. They are our future and the future of a greater Delta State”.
“In our commitment as a responsible government, let me remind Deltans that the government is already implementing the Abuja Commitments on Primary Health Care which is the Bed-rock of a viable Health Care System”. Sir Onyeme, who is also the Chairman, Task Force on Primary Health Care/Immunisation, said government doors were open to a realistic and result oriented public-private partnership and communities’ collaboration.
He noted that the various collective efforts over the years had won the country, Nigeria, Measles Elimination status and urged that the feat must be sustained.
The deputy governor enjoined all Deltans to enrol in the established state health insurance scheme so that they can benefit from the subsidized quality health care, noting that it was aside the existing Free Care of the Pregnant Women and Free Care for the Under 5.
According to him; “Let all Deltans: leaders of thought, traditional and religious, political, corporate bodies, institutions of learning and training, parents and guardians open their doors and embrace the vaccination of their children and wards 9 to 59 months of age from the 5th to 11th of October, 2024 against the Measles Disease. Earlier, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Mrs Philomena Okeowo, noted that measles disease is contagious and still a public health concern with sporadic outbreaks that affect, especially, children between 9 months to 59 months of age.
Dr. Onojaeme said measles untoward signs and symptoms are fever, loss of appetite, feeling of being unwell, Coryza, cough, conjunctivitis. Blindness and or death could be a sad end when the disease is not contained. The commissioner noted that Delta State, in recent years, made significant strides in curbing the menace of the disease with ongoing routine vaccination coverage in the health care facilities across the State, adding that, for the Supplemental Vaccination Campaigns, the State had 113 per cent in 2022 and expects to attain over 100 per cent in this campaign too. While in a good will message, a representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Mrs Faith Ireye, among others, urged mothers to ensure that every child who falls within the age bracket gets vaccinated in order to ensure that the children are shielded from the disease that threatened their existence.
