The Ondo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency has confirmed that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has increased the agency’s subvention by 50% to strengthen the capacity of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across the state to deliver essential health services.
The Permanent Secretary of the agency, Dr. Francis Akanbiemu, disclosed on Tuesday in Akure that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has significantly boosted support for primary healthcare in the state.
He made the statement during a stakeholders’ meeting on the National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs), an initiative aimed at enhancing immunization against polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
Akanbiemu said, “To our joy, the first thing Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa did when he became governor was to increase the subvention of the agency by 50%. The primary healthcare system provides over 70% of care to our people.”
“The governor also approved N50 million to power the cold chain in the agency, and beyond that, he released N16 million for the completion of the agency’s building infrastructure,” he added.
Akanbiemu also noted that 109 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the state are currently undergoing renovation in collaboration with the World Bank.
Focus on immunization and child health
He expressed appreciation to the people of the state for consistently accessing the PHCs and emphasized that the upcoming immunization exercise would focus on the polio vaccine, Vitamin A supplementation, and other routine immunization antigens.
“This activity is important to ensure that our children remain alive and healthy. Immunization is key to a child’s survival, and it is most rewarding because it builds the child’s capacity to fight diseases,” he said.
Akanbiemu announced that children aged 0 to 59 months would be vaccinated between May 3 and May 8 at designated posts, including churches, mosques, and health facilities. He urged all stakeholders to do their best to ensure the success of the immunization campaign.
HPV vaccine and school enrolment policy
Earlier, the Director of Disease Control and Immunization at the agency, Dr. Victor Adefesoye, revealed that the state government was considering making the immunization card a requirement for child enrollment into elementary schools.
He also disclosed that girls aged nine to 14 would have access to the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, and called on parents to ensure all eligible children are vaccinated to safeguard public health.
Dr. Adebayo Ibrahim, a representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), who spoke on behalf of all development partners, stressed that the success of the immunization exercise would rely heavily on the cooperation and collaboration of all stakeholders.
