The wife of the Oyo Governor, Engr. Tamunominini Makinde, has led a sensitisation rallies on lifesaving vaccines on Measles, Rubella for children between age 9 months and 15 years.
The event which is an initiative of the Renewed Hope Initiative took place at Government Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.
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It had in attendance wives of the lawmakers, members of the State Executive Council, caregivers, community leaders and healthcare service providers.
The sole aim of the programme is to boost awareness and uptake of vaccines to prevent measles and rubella, especially among children.
In her address, the First Lady appealed to the stakeholders to support government efforts to curb deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases, particularly among children aged five and below.
“As mothers and leaders in our communities, we must ensure every child receives the necessary vaccination to prevent avoidable deaths,” she said. She also charged the wives of chairmen from all 33 local government areas in the state to take the campaign door-to-door, ensuring no child is left behind.”
Earlier in her welcome address, the Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, emphasized that measles remains one of the leading causes of child mortality globally. She also noted that rubella poses severe risks, particularly for pregnant women.
Rubella, according to her, can result in lifelong complications such as visual impairment, congenital blindness, deafness, and mental and growth retardation,
“These are not just personal tragedies but burdens on families and entire communities.”
She noted the challenges being faced to include, lack of awareness and cultural disbelief in vaccination among others.
She, therefore, reiterated the state government’s commitment to ensuring that no child dies from vaccine-preventable diseases.
“The vaccination campaign targets children aged 9 months to 15 years and includes integrated child health interventions such as vitamin A supplementation”.