by Christiana Gokyo, Jos
Plateau State Deputy Governor, Mrs Josephine Piyo, has assured that hands are on deck to ensure that all eligible children in the state are immunized against deadly and debilitating diseases.
The Deputy Governor, who doubles as Chairman of the Task Force, stated this when she received a team of the State Task Force on Immunization and Primary Health Care Activities in Jos on Wednesday.
According to her, the State Government would leave no stone unturned until it achieves total coverage of immunization so as to stop the circulation of diseases amongst children in the state.
She emphasized that the goal of eradicating childhood diseases must be achieved, in the interest of all children – to achieve the overarching objective.
She disclosed that, all local community development areas (LCDAs) through the traditional officeholders must be brought on board to enlighten and mobilise their communities for unrestricted access to immunization and other primary health care (PHC) services.
Speaking earlier, the Executive Secretary, Plateau State, Primary Health Care Board (PSPHCB), Dr Raymond Jurit, stated that the meeting with the Deputy Governor was to kick-start the annual quarterly meeting to assess successes, progress, and challenges faced by the board, in terms of combating diseases and progress on timely immunizations.
Director, Disease Control and Immunization, PSPHCB, Dr Yakubu Izang, who represented the Executive Secretary, stated that the quarterly meetings were important to also plan the necessary immunizations to be carried out and connect with relevant stakeholders such as traditional rulers and other relevant agencies to ensure a seamless process.
The Executive Secretary congratulated the governor and his deputy on the resounding victory at the Supreme Court, describing the victory as “an act of God and the voice of the people.”
He commiserated with the people of Mangu local government and the entire state on the recent violent attacks that erupted in the area, which has led to the loss of lives and property.
The Executive Secretary prayed for comfort for the families, who lost their loved ones, and speedy recovery for the injured, while calling on security agencies to find lasting solutions to the unending cycle of killings in the state.