By Salisu Musa
African Health Budget Network (AHBN) said it would monitor the success of the COVID-19 vaccination in Ogun State, in order to boost the exercise in the state.
AHBN Team Lead, Mrs Josephone Olowookere stated this when she led team members on an advocacy visit to the Executive Secretary, Osun State Primary Health Care Development Agency (OSPHCDA) Dr Adebukola Olujide on Tuesday.
She said the purpose of the visit was due to the follow up from the strategic Advocacy Retreat to review Osun and Oyo States COVID-19 and Health Security Accountability scorecard which took place in Abuja.
She also enquired about the development in terms of the third booster, and to advocate for support from the executive secretary, in order to have a good synergy with the state government and the commissioner of health.
Mrs Olowookere said there is need for the establishment of a COVID-19 technical working group that AHBN can work with, in order to monitor the success of the vaccination in Osun State.
She further asked about the available jingles used by the board for COVID-19 vaccines that can be leveraged on, to increase the number of times it is heard and the spread to other stations and the need for a dedicated budget for COVID 19, health security and routine immunization.
“And a legal frame work from the OSPHCDA and establishment of public laboratory for conducting antibiotics susceptibility testing.”
Responding, the Executive Secretary OSPHCDA, Dr Adebukola Olujide, outlined the performance of the state as regards to vaccination and the impossibility of creating a technical task force due to the integration of COVID 19 vaccination with other health security campaigns ongoing in the state.
She promised to support the program with flies and all necessary things.
Dr Olujide said information will be made available for the jingles if the AHBN is coming to support or provide innovative ideas.
The executive secretary mentioned some stand-alone support for COVID-19 vaccination by different partners, saying the main budget for immunization is integrated.
She, therefore, requested AHBN to come with its framework, if the organisation is interested in reviewing and evaluating the activities of the board as regards to COVID-19 prevention and vaccination.
The advocacy visit was attended by the Director of Administration, Tijani F.A; Director of Pharmacy Supplies, Adebowale O.A, Oladipupo E. Banji, Akinsola Oluwaseyi and Omodare OluwaTosin.
