The Cross River State Commissioner of Health, Dr Egbe Ayuk has advocated for integrated programming to advance immunisation and other prevention programmes in child health.
Dr Ayuk, who made the advocacy, recently, at Primary Healthcare Centre, Ikot Omin, Calabar, while flagging off the polio immunisation cycle in the State, admonished the good work being done by the State Primary Health Care Development Agency in stepping up immunisation coverage, and, however, appealed for cost-effective and efficient delivery of primary health services through stronger partnerships in integrating immunisation with other disease programmes like COVID-19, malaria, deworming among others.
He reminded the organisers of the philosophy of primary healthcare under one roof, which, he said, is the global directive on delivering efficient and effective primary healthcare services.
The Health Commissioner used the event to call on parents to avail their children the opportunity to get vaccinated, noting that prevention remains a better alternative to any other curative intervention on the health of the people.
Earlier, Dr Inyang Asibong a former Commissioner for Health in the State, who represented the Wife of the Governor, Rev. (Mrs) Eyoanwan Bassey Otu, led the administration of the vaccine to children, thereby officially flagging off the immunisation cycle in the State.
The immunisation programme which is meant for children from zero to fifteen years, would last from 16 through 19 September 2023.
