Ugwuanyi Declares Massive Meningitis Vaccination In Enugu

Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has launched the first ever meningitis vaccination campaign in the state.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony at Abakpa Nike Primary Health Centre, in Enugu East Local Government Area, Ugwuanyi said that the campaign would not have come at a better time than now as meningitis is often associated with heat and dry season.

Ugwuanyi said that “Enugu State is the first state in Southern Nigeria to fully implement the meningitis mass vaccination,” adding that the state came first in the country in Maternal and Child Healthcare indices.

Reiterating the state government’s resolve towards the provision of better healthcare delivery to citizens and residents, Ugwuanyi disclosed that the State Ministry of Health, since the inception of his administration on May 29, 2015, has consistently taken the third position after the Ministries of Works and Education in terms of capital expenditure portfolio provision in the budget.

While noting that his administration is being encouraged by the results it is getting to continue pursuing the goal of a healthy state, the governor revealed that the state government is expecting the visitation of African Regional Certification Committee for Polio eradication.

He said the state has a free pre-natal and anti-natal treatment for women, while general hospitals in various Local Government Areas are being rejuvenated, statistically resulting to an all-time low infant mortality.

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“The state provided a take-off grant of N200 million to Enugu State Agency for Universal Health Coverage and a Duplex at No. 12 Colliery Avenue, as office complex for Universal Health Coverage” he said.

In his address, the Executive Secretary, Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. George Ugwu, commended Gov. Ugwuanyi for his passion, disposition and support to the agency through various interventions and primary healthcare programmes across the state, “especially those that positively and directly impact on the health of the people of Enugu State as a whole, especially women, children and other vulnerable groups in the society”.

Ugwu stated that one of the interventions “worthy of mention is the just concluded introduction of Measles, second dose, into Routine Immunization for children between 15 and 23 months of age” implemented to protect them against measles disease which is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in children across the globe.

He revealed that the acceptance of the introduction of measles second dose vaccine and other related interventions by the people was demonstrated through the high demand for the services witnessed during the exercise.

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