Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has disclosed that only 12 out of the 36 states have paid their counterpart funds for the annual measles vaccination exercise ahead of the 2017/2018 dry season.
The dry season is generally known to be associated with measles in the country.
Obaseki told State House correspondents after the National Economic Council meeting on Thursday that the Executive Director of National Primary Health Care Development Agency briefed the council on the preparations for measles vaccination and informed members that the campaign will be conducted first in the 19 Northern states including the Federal Capital Territory.
He said the second phase of the exercise would take place in the 17 Southern states..
According to Obaseki, only Bayelsa, Borno, Edo, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Osun, Sokoto and Zamfara states had paid the counterpart funds
“24 states are yet to meet their obligations for the vaccination in this campaign.
“We therefore requested council to appeal to states who are yet to meet their obligations to act urgently to enable campaign take off on schedule in all states of the federation,”the governor said.
He added that an appeal was made to the council to support the quarterly release of fund for routine immunisation activities and that states should set up emergency routine immunisation coordination centres so as as to serve as a platform to coordinate routine immunisation activities.
