The Chairman of Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State, Dr Eric Odo, has pledged to ensure every child in the area is immunised against polio, measles and other preventable diseases.
Mr Odo made the pledge on Thursday in Ogbede while inaugurating the Intersectoral Coordination Committee for Routine Immunisation in the council area.
He urged community members to participate actively in routine and non-routine immunisation exercises to ensure their success.
The council chairman, who also chairs the committee, assured that his administration would do everything possible to ensure that no child in the LGA suffers or dies from preventable diseases, appealing for public support.
He said the federal, state and local governments, in collaboration with international organisations, were investing huge resources to eliminate preventable diseases.
He explained that failure to immunise a child would expose vulnerable groups, especially children, to avoidable health risks.
According to him, the dangers of preventable diseases often become evident when those who missed immunisation fall seriously ill.
Mr Odo stressed the importance of community participation in immunisation programmes, noting that the exercise must be community-driven.
He said that sensitisation and dialogue were key to addressing vaccine hesitancy, adding that persuasion, rather than force, should be used to encourage compliance.
The chairman explained that the committee was constituted to ensure 100 per cent compliance with routine immunisation in Igbo-Etiti, adding that the council would provide the necessary support to achieve the objective.
He noted that the committee could also be deployed for other health-related programmes, expressing confidence in its capacity to deliver on its mandate.
Similarly, World Health Organisation (WHO) Local Government Area Facilitator, Collins Onyia, commended the council chairman for inaugurating the committee, saying it would help Igbo-Etiti achieve full immunisation coverage.
Mr Onyia called for increased sensitisation of parents who refuse to immunise their children, warning that such actions could have serious health consequences in the future.
He assured that the WHO would continue to provide technical and other necessary support to ensure the success of routine and non-routine immunisation programmes in the area.
The WHO facilitator urged members of the committee to work collectively to achieve the objectives of its inauguration.
(NAN)