Lagos rallies council chairmen, others for wider immunisation coverage

By Adeola Ogunrinde –

The Lagos State Government, in collaboration with council chairmen and religious leaders, has stepped up its campaign on immunisation to reach every resident of the state. The government called for the active participation of all stakeholders to ensure that everyone is vaccinated against preventable diseases.

Speaking during the inauguration of the State Task Force on Immunisation and Primary Health Care Services in Alausa, Ikeja, on Tuesday, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, who chairs the committee, said the task force was set up to guarantee that all children in the state are vaccinated. He commended the immunisation team for its efforts in past years but stressed the need to intensify campaigns to reach those yet to access vaccines.

“We want our religious leaders to use their various sermons to inform people about the potency of vaccines. We equally want our schools to be aware of their role in ensuring that students are duly vaccinated,” Hamzat said.

He emphasised the importance of working with relevant stakeholders to ensure the success of the initiative. Hamzat enjoined all players in the health sector to support the campaign, noting that the state government would increase budgetary allocation for the development of primary health care services to enhance service delivery.

The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, explained that the event aimed to increase sensitisation and advocate for healthcare delivery at the grassroots. He warned that any community with a weak primary healthcare platform was “destined to have a sickly population.” He added that the primary objective was to increase immunisation coverage, noting that vaccines now eliminate infections that can cause serious complications such as hepatitis, cervical cancer, and malaria.

Prof. Abayomi stressed that to improve uptake, services must be strengthened with adequate infrastructure, equipment, and human resources. “While we are talking about increasing our resources, it’s important that we work on the aspects that make primary healthcare more attractive to Lagos residents,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Ibrahim Mustapha, reaffirmed government’s commitment to strengthening PHC governance and accountability. He noted that the state would ensure that no one is left behind in accessing life-saving vaccines and essential health services. According to him, the government also seeks to ensure optimal routine performance across all local governments, respond effectively to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, and foster stronger collaboration between government and the private sector.

Speaking on behalf of council chairmen, the Chairman of Conference 57 and Ibeju-Lekki Local Government, Sesan Olowa, assured the deputy governor and the task force of the commitment of all council chairmen to support the immunisation campaign.