Kwara state emerges winner of UNICEF immunisation coverage in North Central

Kwara state government has announced the UNICEF winner on immunisation coverage in the North Central zone with a cash prize of $500, 000.

Mr Kayode Alabi, the state deputy governor and chairman of the State Task Force on Immunisation and Primary Healthcare Agency, who spoke in Ilorin, the state’s capital, at the weekend, said the state government is determined to achieve the highest peak of success on immunisation coverage in the country. 

Alabi, who stated that the award, won by the Kwara State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, was given via the UNICEF mechanism method, noted that the money was domiciled with the UNICEF to improve PHC in the state.

He said Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq made the feat recorded possible with his support, adding that the government is set to improve on past efforts to achieve greater heights.

The deputy governor also lauded AbdulRazaq for the prompt release of counterpart funds for the subsequent immunisation in the state, adding that it shows that the governor is concerned about the health of the people of Kwara state.

Dr Nusirat Elelu, the executive secretary of Kwara State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, also said that Abdulrazaq had created a work plan to develop the PHC system with the fund.

“Also, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq aims to strengthen data by ensuring that all programme officers involved, including the local immunisation officers, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Maternal and Child Health officers, receive quality laptops to improve data from the PHCs to the state.”

Elelu added that Kwara has improved both routine immunisation and supplementary immunisation activity.

“For routine immunisation, there has been over 66% improvement for children who receive vaccine in PHCs,” saying that the data was 33% before 2019.

She also hinted that the state would join the second phase of the human Papillional virus vaccine introduction with 20 other states.

“This will be for children between ages 8-14 and will commence between May 2 to 5, 2024, in all the wards in Kwara state.”