Oluwatobi Adu 
BENIN CITY, Nigeria – Edo State Deputy Governor Dennis Idahosa orders improved funding, staffing and service delivery at rural primary healthcare centres to expand access to quality medical care.
Idahosa issues the directive on Friday while chairing the fourth quarterly meeting of the Edo State Primary Health Care Taskforce in Benin City.
He stresses that strong primary healthcare systems are essential to improving health outcomes and urges local government authorities to prioritise essential services at the grassroots. “Governance must translate into real benefits at the community level,” Idahosa says.
The deputy governor calls for full preparedness ahead of the 2026 measles-rubella vaccination campaign, which targets children aged nine months to 14 years, regardless of previous vaccination status. “Our collective goal is to reach every eligible child in Edo State. No child should be left behind,” he says.
He explains that the campaign aims to strengthen population immunity and prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases through coordinated action involving state officials, councils and frontline health workers.
Describing the meeting as the taskforce’s final session for 2025, Idahosa says it provides an opportunity to review progress, refine strategies and plan for the new year.
Healthcare, he reiterates, remains a pillar of the SHINE Agenda under Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration.
Idahosa commends development partners and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency for supporting reforms aligned with national health priorities.
He announces that first-quarter 2026 activities will focus on facility visits and direct engagement with staff across 192 primary healthcare centres in Edo’s 18 local government areas.
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