Take advantage of Child Health Week to immunize your children – Mrs Anyanwu-Akeredolu

Mothers and caregivers in Ondo State have been urged to take advantage of the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week to immunize their wards against killer diseases.

Wife of Ondo State Governor, Mrs Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu made the call while flagging off the year 2022 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week, MNCHW at the Mother and Child Hospital, Oke-Aro, Akure.

Mrs Anyanwu-Akeredolu explained that there was the need for mothers and caregivers to take their children and wards under five years to the nearest health facilities and outreach points for them to be immunized during the ongoing campaign.

Flagging off the 2022 MNCHW, the wife of the governor said: “I wish to inform our mothers and caregivers to take their children and wards aged 0 to 59 months to the nearest health facilities and outreach points to obtain all available interventions during this campaign”.

She commended the state government for its efforts towards ensuring child protection, survival and development in the state and for providing enabling environment and needed resources for the implementation of yearly Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week, MNCHW.

She also commended the efforts of stakeholders, including wives of local government chairmen, Non-governmental organisations, market women for their commitment and mobilisation at the grassroots to embrace child survival, protection and development programmes.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka said the exercise was aimed at reaching all the children under the age of five years with Routine Immunisation (RI) vaccines, Vitamin A supplements, de-worming tablets, screening for Malnutrition, HIV Counselling and Testing, birth registration, and promotion of other child protection services, noting that the state was rated 96% best coverage in the August 2021 Round of MNCHW.

In her goodwill message, the Ondo State Representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, Mrs Ada Ezeogu, commended Ondo State for achieving a higher percentage of coverage of MNCHW and appealed for the sustainability of the tempo.

Mrs Ezeogu reiterated the commitment of UNICEF to collaborate with other partners in providing support for the state in all areas that affect women and children.

Tosin Ighoteguono