1 week Ago By Tor Vande-Acka
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..2,087 Health Workers, Ad-hoc Staff To Conduct Exercise – Wende, ES, BSPHCB MAKURDI : The Benue State Government on Saturday, flagged off the commencement of the National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs), campaign with a charge on Local Government Area (LGA), Chairmen to ensure that they support the exercise with the necessary financial and security support.
The state government also called on citizens of the state to ensure that they support wholeheartedly, the campaign which is expected to last for four days (Saturday to Tuesday, 1st May, 2025), and targets children ages 0 – 59 months, insisting that it was through the collective action of the people of the state that Benue would be able to reach its goal and provide its children with the best of life. State Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, who gave the charge in Makurdi, on the occasion of the flag off, said the support and commitment to the exercise is expected to among other things enable the success of the campaign. Represented at the event by the Deputy Governor, Barr Sam Ode, Governor Alia, also charged the council chairmen to make it mandatory to be at the daily ‘Evening Review Meetings’ with the stakeholders, so as to be abreast with progress surrounding the exercise.
Dishing out instructions to the chairmen, Alia, said “The Chairmen of the 23 LGAs must demonstrate commitment and support to this campaign with needed logistics. And these logistics supports include finance, security, and other necessary factors that are important for the success of the campaign. “Our focus, as we gather here today, is on our youngest citizens—children aged 0 to 59 months.
These precious souls represent the future of our great state, and it is our solemn duty to ensure their well-being and safeguard their health. “The NIPDs campaign is not just about administering vaccines; it is about securing their future, promoting population herd immunity, and strengthening the resilience of our healthcare system. Our goal is to increase population herd immunity by ensuring that as many eligible children as possible receive the necessary vaccinations.
“As we flagoff this campaign across the 23 LGAs, we don’t expect anything less from our LG chairmen and I am going to communicate this to the Special Adviser, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs (BLGCA), who is going to set up a Monitoring Committee that will move round the 23 LGs. “Honourable Commissioner for Health and Human Services, you will make sure that we meet with the Special Adviser, BLGCA, by Monday, so that a Committee will be set up at the level of the Bureau to monitor and supervise this exercise across the 23 LGAs. “The chairmen must also supervise the exercise and most importantly, attend the daily Evening Review Meetings for the four days of the exercise to renew progress together with other stakeholders.
“As we kick off the NIPDs campaign, let us remember that vaccines are not just shots; they are shields against preventable diseases. They are shields that protect our children from suffering and ensure a brighter, healthier future for them. Let us rally around this important cause and make this campaign a resounding success; healthy children are the foundation of a prosperous and vibrant Benue state.
“I want to take a moment to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of our healthcare professionals and volunteers who will be at the forefront of this campaign. Your unwavering commitment to the health of our children is truly commendable. We appreciate your efforts, and I assure you that the Benue State Government stands with you in this endeavor and will in due course increase the Health Workforce to meet the requirement of the Minimum Service Package for Health Care delivery at Primary Health Care Level.
“In conclusion, let me express my gratitude to our partners, including the federal government, WHO, UNICEF, and all the organizations/stakeholders that have collaborated with us to make this campaign possible. Together, we can achieve a higher level of herd immunity, ensuring the safety and health of our children”, he said In her address, Executive Secretary (ES), Benue State Primary Health Care Board (BSPHCB), Mrs Grace Ashi Wende, noted that the Board has despatched about 2,087 teams across the 277 council wards in the state, comprising health workers and adhoc staff that have been trained to embark on the exercise so that all eligible children are vaccinated. According to her, “NIPDs, is a testament to our commitment to ensuring that every child, regardless of their socio-economic background, has access to life-saving vaccines.
It is a collaborative effort between our state government, the federal government, and our invaluable partners, including the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and various non-governmental organizations, who have worked tirelessly to make this program a reality. “Two Thousand and Eighty-Seven teams comprising Health workers and other designated adhoc staff have been trained across the 277 wards to conduct these four days immunization programme ensuring every eligible child is vaccinated. “Immunization is not just a health intervention; it is an investment in the future of our state.
When we immunize our children, we are not only protecting them from deadly diseases, but we are also ensuring that they have the opportunity to grow up healthy, attend school regularly, and become productive members of the society. By vaccinating our children, we are paving the way for a brighter, healthier, and more prosperous future for our state. “Let me reiterate that immunization is not just a responsibility; it is a moral duty.
It is a duty to our children, our communities, and our future. Let us all embrace this duty with the seriousness it deserves and work together to make Benue state a beacon of immunization success in Nigeria. “Your Excellency, we shall continue to make demands that will support the attainment of a healthy Benue as you are dedicated to achieve.
We sincerely request for increased Human Resource for Health (HRH) at the first level of the Health Care Delivery system, ‘The Primary Health Care Level” to meet with the requirements of the Minimum Service Package. We also request His Excellency to support in the repair of the Freezer Compartment of the state Walk-in-Cold Room to increase vaccines storage capacity to maintain their potency. “I want to take a moment to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of our healthcare workers who are on the front-lines of this immunization campaign.
Their commitment to reaching every child, even in the most remote areas, is commendable, and I assure you that your efforts do not go unnoticed. You are the true heroes of our healthcare system, and we are deeply grateful for your service. “As we flag off the NIPDs today, I call upon all parents and guardians to seize this opportunity to ensure that their children are immunized.
I urge our community and religious leaders to use their influence to educate and mobilize their communities in support of this critical initiative. Together, we can reach every child and ensure that no child is left behind when it comes to immunization. “I want to really appreciate the traditional leaders in Benue state for their relentless efforts in supporting immunization activities and other Primary Health care services.
Also worthy of mention are the religious leaders for their immense support in mobilization in their worship centers during immunization campaigns” Wende said. Meanwhile, the State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Yanmar Ortese, decried the situation where in this age people have to be cajoled into immunizing their children against vaccine-preventable diseases such as polio. He was even more worried that due to the lackadaisical attitude of parents and guardians, some of these diseases have continued to ravage the society.
The Ter Makurdi, HRH, Chief Vincent Aule, who was represented by the Kindred Head of Wurukum, Makurdi, Chief Simon Ugondo Tor, lamented the spate of insecurity in the state, advising that until the issue was addressed it may have a counter-productive effect on the exercise. In his remarks the chairman, Makurdi LGA, noted that even on Friday night, armed herdsmen had attacked some communities in the LG, killing several persons in process..
