Bayelsa Bags US Disease Control Centre Award On Immunisation Programme

Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Douye, on Wednesday, received an international award presented by the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in conjunction with the African Field Epidemiology Network (AfriNET).

The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Seiyefa Brisibe, who made the presentation during the 193rd state executive council meeting in Government House, Yenagoa, said the administration was honoured for the state’s remarkable strides in immunisation and disease surveillance.

He explained that following an assessment visit by the Global Immunization Division of the United States Embassy in July this year, Bayelsa was recognised for successfully immunising more than 30,000 children and reducing the number of zero-dose children from 4,000 to 2,100 within one year.

The Health Commissioner also attributed the international recognition to the state’s partnership with Zipline, which has significantly improved the delivery of vaccines and other essential medical commodities to difficult-to-reach riverine communities through drones.

Brisibe stated that Bayelsa equally had outstanding performance in the implementation of the malaria vaccine pilot programme, where it ranked first among participating states.

According to him, other notable achievements were the training and deployment of over 720 primary healthcare workers to strengthen immunisation services, particularly in hard-to-reach riverine communities; the deployment of tricycle ambulances and integration of cottage hospitals into the primary healthcare system to expand access to essential health services.

The Commissioner for Education, Dr. Gentle Emelah, who also briefed the council, said Bayelsa came fifth in the country in the recent teachers’ Professional Qualifying Examination conducted by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).

He noted that the ranking validated the Prosperity Administration’s sustained investment in improving the quality of education, noting that the state had only recently emerged first nationwide in the National Examinations Council (NECO) ranking in the number of candidates that obtained five credits and above in its examinations.

Responding to the presentations, Governor Diri commended the Ministry of Health for its dedication but challenged the team to intensify effort towards eliminating the remaining zero-dose cases.

He said: “While this achievement is commendable, it also tells us that about 2,000 children were yet to be immunised. I urge the Ministry of Health not to relent until every eligible child in Bayelsa receives life-saving vaccines. Nonetheless, I commend you for the excellent work you are doing.”

He equally congratulated the Ministry of Education for the achievement but urged teachers and education managers not to become complacent.

“Ranking fifth out of the 36 states is encouraging. It shows that we are making progress. However, our target should be to rank among the top three and ultimately become number one in the country. I urge our teachers to redouble their efforts to make Bayelsa the leading state in educational excellence.”

According to the governor, the performance of the state in these sectors was another indication that government approvals and investments were being effectively implemented by ministries, departments and agencies.

He further observed that the growing number of national and international recognitions by the state reflected the commitment and effectiveness of the administration in delivering quality governance across critical sectors.

On electricity supply from the state’s independent power plant, the Bayelsa helmsman assured residents that every part of Yenagoa will eventually be connected to the gas turbines, urging the people to remain patient and disregard misinformation capable of undermining the prevailing peace and security in the state.

He acknowledged that there were technical challenges in extending the project to some areas but stressed that government was committed to ensuring equitable access to the power across the state capital.

He advised residents yet to benefit from the project to seek accurate information through appropriate channels rather than spread rumours.

“The peace and security we enjoy in Bayelsa are paramount. I appeal to our people to exercise patience and avoid spreading false information.

“Every nook and cranny of Yenagoa will eventually be connected to the gas turbine. There may be teething challenges in some areas, but they will certainly be overcome for the benefit of everyone.”