To mark the first round of the 2015 National Immunization Plus Days in Delta State, the flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has dewormed children and pregnant women with 870,000 deworming tablets.
The candidate said the feat will not only reduce the burden of vaccine preventable diseases in them, but increase the acceptability of Oral Polio Vaccine in the state.
Besides, the senator said the gesture would ensure that all eligible children under five years of age as well as pregnant women receive the appropriate vaccines together with other routine immunization antigens.
Okowa added other pluses such as satchet milk, Long Lasting Insecticide Nets and 419 bags of Iodized Salt containing 80 sachets per bag for each of the Primary Health Care Centres in the state.
At the flag-off of the first round of the 2015 National Immunization Plus Days in Asaba on Sunday, Okowa, also the Chairman of the Senator Committee on Health, said he was sure the feat would help vaccinating missed children and strengthen their routine immunization.
According to him, it would guarantee equal access to primary health care for all Deltans irrespective of their financial status.
He said: “As a medical professional and, indeed, as chairman of Senator Committee on Health, I have been deeply involved in promoting necessary legislation to sustain and advance public health and medical practice.
“It is expected that the deworming tablets shall be dispensed to mothers of children between 12 to 59 months during the polio vaccination exercise using the NIPDs strategy of going from house-to-house, special teams set up to visit schools, motor-parks, market places, while the Iodized Salt shall be dispensed to mothers of children between 0 to 11 months (Under one year) that will visit the health centres for immunization.”
While he vowed to accord utmost priority to the issue of health, Okowa said his administration would pursue a legislation that would support and promote Universal Health Insurance Policy for all the people of the state.
Represented by the Head of Medical Committee of his Campaign Organization, Dr. Ben Ejomoraye, Okowa said: “Like the present Governor (Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan), if by the grace of God I become the next governor of the state, the issue of health for all Deltans will be accorded utmost priority.”
The Special Assistant to Governor Uduaghan on Health, Dr. Ruekewe Ogumba, who coordinated the exercise, lauded Okowa’s determination to advance the policies and programmes of the health sector, harping on the spirit of continuity which he displayed.
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