Date: 2018-02-28

WORLD Health Organization (WHO) has assured the Kwara state government provision of necessary assistance to combat communicable and non-communicable diseases in the state.

Speaking at the flag of 2018 measles campaign programme in Ilorin on Tuesday, the WHO coordinator in the state, Pharmacist Mustapha Katibi, said that the measles was still a burden in Nigeria because of a high number of vulnerable children who were not immunized.

The WHO coordinator, who tasked stakeholders to support the initiative for improved coverage in this year programme, commended the state government for the prompt release of counterpart funding on the measles vaccination programme.

The world health body also commended the Kwara state government for sustaining polio virus-free record in the state in the past 10 years, saying that the state had maintained 90 per cent record in the last assessment of the disease in the state.

In his speech at the event, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed called on every mother and caregiver in the state to make their children available for immunization.

The governor, who said that the primary health Care development agency of the state government had made about 500 health facilities functional for provision of routine immunization on regular basis, added that the health facilities had ensured that people especially children were protected from vaccine-preventable diseases such as tuberculosis, tetanus, whooping cough, measles, yellow fever, hepatitis, poliomyelitis etc.

"This, in turn, has helped to reduce out of pocket expenditure for health care services and hence reducing poverty among citizens", he said.