Kogi State Ministry of Health in collaboration with Kogi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency have flagged off outbreak Response (OBR 1) Immunization in the State.
The Campaign which was flagged off in Lokoja was to eradicate Vaccine Polio Related Virus in Nigeria.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony the Executive Director Kogi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency Dr. Abubakar Yakubu, called on parents to bring out their Children between ages 0- 59 months to be vaccinated saying that the vaccine is safe, protective and important to every child.
According to him the OBR 1 is a special vaccine that prevent polio virus, noting that despite the fact that Nigeria has been certified a polio free nation, precautions should be taken to avoid reoccurrence, adding that in an effort to eradicate polio virus completely from Nigeria, the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency and Federal Ministry of Health deemed it necessary to have OBR 1 following an outbreak of vaccine polio related virus in Lagos and Oyo States respectively .
Dr. Abubarka thanked the National Primary Healthcare Development agency for including the State amongst the states to commerce campaign, saying that the state being boarded by many states was at risk.
Speaking, the Ohiegba of Mozum, HRH, King Khalid Ali Bukar II who flagged off the campaign said the campaign would safeguard the future of the children.
He appealed to parents to embrace the vaccine and bring out their children to their wards for immunization as Health Workers moved around villages and communities for vaccination.
In their goodwill messages, the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Funds (UNICEF), ANFENET, Rotary International and other partners expressed gratitude to the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Primary Healthcare Development agency for coming up with the program, saying that the program would finally kicked out Polio Virus from Nigeria.
Gloria Amodu
PRO, MOI&C
