OSPHCDA INAUGURATES MALARIA VACCINE TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP
In a renewed effort to tackle the menace of malaria and drastically reduce under-five morbidity and mortality in Ondo State, the Ondo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, OSPHCDA, has inaugurated its Malaria Vaccine Technical Working Group (MVTWG)
The inauguration ceremony took place at the Conference Room of the Agency’s headquarters in Akure, with membership drawn from relevant departments of the Agency, development partners, and key stakeholders in the health sector.
The Permanent Secretary of the Agency, Dr. Francis Akanbiemu, who was represented by the Director, Disease Control and Immunisation, Dr. Victor Adefesoye, formally inaugurated the committee on behalf of the Agency.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Adefesoye said the constitution of the Technical Working Group is a strategic step by the State Government to ensure a seamless and successful elimination of malaria via the intensified routinezation of the malaria vaccine across all 18 Local Government Areas of the state.
He stated that the overall goal of the group is to ensure that all eligible children are fully covered, stressing that no child should be left behind in the fight against malaria, which remains a leading cause of childhood illness and death
Dr. Adefesoye charged members of the MVTWG to work collaboratively with all departments and partners, including WHO, UNICEF, and other implementing partners to ensure the success of the programme through effective planning, coordination and community mobilization.
According to him, the specific mandates of the Working Group include to comprehensively review the existing micro-plan for the malaria vaccine routinezation and to strengthen the micro-plan to address identified gaps and reflect local realities.
He added that the committee will also ensure strategic deployment of the vaccine with special attention to poor-performing and hard-to-reach Local Governments, in order to bridge equity gaps in immunisation coverage
Furthermore, he disclosed that the MVTWG will develop and manage a real-time dashboard to monitor, track and regularly update activities of the committee, to enhance transparency, accountability and data-driven decision making.
In their separate remarks, members of the newly inaugurated Technical Working Group expressed appreciation to the leadership of the Agency for the confidence reposed in them and pledged their total commitment to delivering on the mandate for the health and wellbeing of children in Ondo State.
According to a statement signed by the Media Manager in the agency, Ayo Falana, membership of the Committee include the State Malaria focal person who also doubled as the Special Assistant to the state commissioner for Health, Dr Abayomi Logo,, representatives of WHO, UNICEF. NPHCDA, CHAI, CHAN, Directors and and programme officers of the Agency.
