Korede Abdullah in Lagos
The Ekiti State Government, in partnership with UNICEF, has called on stakeholders from various sectors to intensify efforts in safeguarding children’s health by ensuring unhindered access to healthcare, particularly through immunisation.
Speaking during a quarterly meeting of the Social and Behavioural Change (SBC) Committee in Ado-Ekiti on Monday, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Olusesan Alabi, emphasized the need to dismantle barriers that hinder children’s access to quality healthcare.
“Children’s access to quality healthcare is essential to building a healthy, empowered future generation. However, entrenched socio-cultural barriers and widespread misinformation continue to impede the realization of this right,” he said.
Alabi urged members of the SBC Committee to act as information ambassadors, spreading accurate knowledge on the importance of immunisation.
He stressed that vaccines are vital tools in protecting children from life-threatening yet preventable diseases.
Reiterating this stance, UNICEF’s Social and Behavioural Change Specialist, Aderonke Akinola-Adewole—represented by Ekiti State Health Educator, Olajumoke Oguntoye—called for stronger awareness campaigns.
“Vaccination is a safe, reliable, and effective way to keep our children healthy and free from many preventable diseases, some of which can be fatal,” she stated.
Oguntoye further highlighted that immunisation protects against diseases like measles, polio, and influenza, while also reducing the severity of illnesses and preventing community outbreaks.
She underscored immunisation’s role in achieving global health goals and eradicating diseases such as smallpox.
In her closing appeal, she called on religious leaders, private school owners, and parents to support scheduled vaccination drives, urging them to ensure their children are presented during campaigns.
