- Safiu Kehinde
The Kwara State Government is set to commence a four-day polio vaccination campaign targeting 1.2 million children from June 28 to July 1.
Prof. Nusirat Elelu, Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency, disclosed this on Friday while briefing journalists in Ilorin.
Elelu noted that the campaign was an extension of the ongoing Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health (MNCH) Week in the state.
The polio vaccination, according to her, would involve house-to-house immunisation across all 16 Local Government Areas of Kwara.
“The campaign aims to deliver high-impact, low-cost health interventions to reduce morbidity and mortality among women and children in Kwara,” she said.
She added that the integrated health intervention also included the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which would be administered in health facilities and outreach posts across the state.
Elelu noted that the HPV vaccine would be given to 50,000 girls aged nine, particularly those who missed the national HPV vaccine introduction campaign in 2024.
“The HPV vaccine helps protect girls from contracting cervical cancer,” she stated.
She further explained that these interventions aligned with recommendations from the National Council on Health and aim to reduce the high rates of illness and death among women of reproductive age and children under five.
“The MNCH Week provides an opportunity to scale up health services in hard-to-reach and underserved communities.
“These services include: Routine immunization. vitamin A supplementation. Deworming. Growth monitoring. Nutrition screening for more than 1.2 million children under five.
“Additional maternal health services will also be offered, including: Antenatal Care. Folic Acid supplementation. Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine (SP) for malaria prevention. Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS).”
Elelu urged parents and caregivers to take full advantage of the campaign to ensure their children received the necessary vaccines and health services.