Not less than 981,710 children under the age of five would be targeted for the round of polio immunization, according to the Gombe State Government.
Lafiya360 reports that the State Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, who disclosed this at the palace of Tumfure Village Head, added that the children would also be vaccinated against other vaccine-preventable diseases across the state in four days, through its Primary Health Care Development Agency.
Yahaya, who was represented by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Habu Dahiru, said his administration has keyed into the goals of President Bola Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Programme,’ to provide healthcare to every Nigerian.
He said, ‘‘As you all know, health is one of the most important priorities of his government, and only last week, we were in Abuja to sign the pact of the Universal Health Coverage during that period, President Bola Tinubu in his ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ agreed with all the 36 governors to sign the pact along with development partners, to renew the health programme in Nigeria where every person will have access to healthcare. And what we are doing today is part of it; an important pillar in our vision and maternal health services.”
In his remarks, traditional ruler, Mai Kaltungo, Engr. Sale Mohammed urged community leaders and parents, particularly women, to ensure that their children get vaccinated. “It is meant to protect them from deadly diseases and to protect mothers from death,” he added.
The Executive Secretary of the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Abdulrahman Shaibu, who disclosed that the vaccination exercise has been launched, added that, “The vaccines are for polio, de-wormer, malaria, and others, and started on Saturday 16 to end Tuesday, December 19, 2023.”