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The Ondo State government has increased its subvention by 50 per cent to enable Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in the state to provide more services to the public.
The Permanent Secretary of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Francis Akanbiemu, revealed this on Tuesday in Akure during a stakeholders’ meeting on the National Immunisation Plus Days (NIPDs), aimed at boosting inoculation against polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
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Mr Akanbiemu said the first thing Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa did when he became governor was to increase the subvention of the agency by 50 per cent.
He noted that the primary healthcare system provides over 70 per cent of care to the people of Ondo Sate.
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“Also, the governor approved N50 million to power the cold chain in the agency and not just that, he released N16 million for completion of the building infrastructure in the agency.”
Subvention is a financial support from the government to help public institutions like health centres function more effectively.
According to Mr Akanbiemu, there is ongoing renovation of 109 PHCs across the state, in collaboration with the World Bank.
He appreciated the people of the state for accessing the PHCs, explaining that
the forthcoming immunisation would focus on polio vaccine, Vitamin A and other routine immunisation antigens.
“This activity is important to make sure that our children are alive and healthy.
Immunisation is key to child’s survival and it is most rewarding because children will have capacity to fight diseases,” he said.
The permanent secretary said children between 0 and 59 months would be vaccinated between 3 and 8 of May at designated posts, Churches, Mosques and health facilities.
He urged stakeholders to put in their best in ensuring the immunisation succeeds.
Earlier, the Director of Disease Control and Immunisation of the agency, Victor Adefesoye, said that the state government is taking a step that would make immunisation card one of the requirements for child enrolment into elementary schools.
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He added that girls between the age of nine and 14 years would also have access to the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for cervical cancer prevention, asking all eligible children to be vaccinated for the safe health of the populace.
Adebayo Ibrahim, a representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO) who spoke on behalf of all partners, said that the success of the immunisation would depend on cooperation and collaboration of stakeholders.
(NAN)
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