The Kwara Government says it has deployed 1,500 healthcare workers for mass immunisation of children, pregnant women and adolescent girls.
Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Prof. Nusirat Elelu, announced this on Monday in Ilorin at the flag-off of the Integrated Health Outreach programme.
She said the workers would be stationed at fixed posts across the 193 apex Primary Health Centres in the state.
“We will provide all routine immunisation antigens for children who are due; Tetanus Toxoid vaccines for our pregnant women and adolescent girls. There will also be general consultations including screening for blood pressure, blood sugar, Body Mass Index and nutrition-related services,” she said.
Elelu explained that the services target 166,309 children under one year, 831,554 children under five and 207,885 pregnant women. She added that the outreach, running from Sept. 8 to Sept. 12, was being implemented with development partners to improve health outcomes.
She said the state aimed to achieve over 80 per cent coverage for the third dose of Pentavalent vaccine by the fourth quarter of 2025.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr Taoheed Abdullahi, commended Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for investing in healthcare, noting that ongoing projects including renovation and construction of facilities would further strengthen the sector.
He said the outreach would ensure health workers reached all communities and urged mothers and caregivers to present their children and wards for vaccination.
(NAN)