Kwara begins Immunisation of 238,000 babies,160,000 children

The Kwara State Government, through the State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KWSPHCDA), in collaboration with development partners, has commenced the second round of routine immunization targeting 238,000 children across the State.

“This initiative aims to strengthen and expand healthcare services, particularly for hard-to-reach, underserved, and zero-dose children.
The exercise includes the second round of the Big Catch-Up vaccination campaign in Ifelodun, Baruten, and Ilorin East Local Government Areas (LGAs), started early this week”, a statement from Kwara State Government read.

Meanwhile, the Local Immunisation Plus Days will be implemented across the remaining 13 LGAs from 12th to 16th February, 2025.

Nusirat Elelu, a Professor and the Executive Secretary of KWSPHCDA, told journalists that both the Local Immunisation Plus Days and the Big Catch-Up campaign were designed to increase Immunisation coverage, reduce the number of zero-dose and partially immunized children, and enhance population immunity.

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Elelu emphasised that “immunisation remains one of the most effective and cost-efficient health interventions globally, preventing millions of deaths and reducing childhood morbidity and mortality each year.”

She noted that the intensification effort would adopt an integrated approach, combining vaccinations with other health interventions such as Vitamin A supplementation to further reduce the risk of childhood diseases.

She commended Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for his unwavering support, pointing out that his commitment to routine and supplemental immunisation programme had created an enabling environment and ensured the availability of funds for campaign implementation.

She also reaffirmed the State Government’s continued partnership with organisations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Bank to strengthen healthcare service delivery in Kwara State.

This, according to her intensified immunisation exercise, which targets approximately 160,000 children through routine immunisation and an additional 78,000 children through the Big Catch-Up campaign.