At least One Hundred and Fifty Thousand (150,000) children below the age of five years have been earmarked for vaccination against Rota virus and other preventable child killer diseases across the sixteen local government areas of Kwara state.
Speaking at the flag- off of the Rota virus vaccination exercise in Ilorin , wife of Kwara state government, Mrs Olufolake AbdulRazq said children should not be allowed to die of ailments that are preventable.
She said Rota virus has been responsible for the death of over forty pecent of children across the globe.
Mrs AbdulRazq expressed confidence that the introduction of the Rotavirus vaccine into routine immunization will help in giving children the required protection against diseases.
In her address, the Executive Secretary Kwara State Primary Health Care Development agency Dr Nusirat Elelu said all arrangements have been put in place to ensure all the children earmarked for the Rota virus vaccination are adequately covered.
She said the agency will commence the programme with a ten days intensification of the vaccination in all health centres across the sixteen local government area the state.
In his address Kwara state Commisssioner for health ,Dr. Raji Razaq urged residents of the state to support the state government efforts in transforming the health sector.
He noted that the state government has renovated over two hundred and forty five (245) health centres to make access to health care easy.
Dr. Razaq appealed to parents to present their children for vaccination against Rota virus and other vaccine preventable diseases.
He however thank the federal government for making Rota virus and other vaccines available to save the lives of children in the state.
COV/ALI MUHAMMAD RABIU