Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Henry Owen
As part of activities marking World Polio Day 2025, the Coordinator of the Office of the Edo State First Lady, Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo Anani, led a Polio Awareness Walk across strategic locations in Benin City to highlight the importance of vaccinating children against polio and other preventable diseases.
The advocacy walk, organized by the Benin Rotary Metropolitan Club in collaboration with the Edo State Ministry of Health, Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, and the World Health Organization, saw Mrs. Anani and volunteers engaging with traders, market women, and community members along a route spanning from the State House of Assembly, through Mission Road to Ugbague and Forestry Road.
Addressing the public, Mrs. Anani stressed the safety and necessity of polio vaccination, which is administered orally. She urged parents to immunize children aged zero to five years, emphasizing that vaccines are freely available through government programs. “Polio can impact the legs and hands, causing significant challenges. We are reminding everyone that children must be immunized to protect their future,” she stated, calling on mothers to share the information widely in their communities.
At the official flag-off ceremony at Ekiosa Primary Health Centre (PHC) on Sokponba Road, Mrs. Anani reinforced the importance of community participation in safeguarding children’s health. She highlighted that immunization not only prevents polio but also strengthens overall community resilience against preventable diseases.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Cyril Oshiomole, warned that polio could compromise a child’s health and result in paralysis, urging mothers to visit nearby PHCs for free vaccination. Dr. Marvelson Obasogie, Medical Officer of Health for Oredo Local Government, encouraged mothers to invite friends and neighbours to participate in vaccination efforts, emphasizing the role of collective action in building community immunity.
Adding a personal perspective, Mrs. Ann Ojugo, a polio survivor and President of the Joint National Persons with Disabilities, shared how contracting polio at age two left her reliant on a wheelchair. She urged parents to immunize their children to prevent the debilitating effects of the disease and emphasized the importance of community involvement in polio eradication efforts.
The event culminated with the official flag-off of polio immunization, where infants received vaccines at the PHC free of charge, marking a crucial step in Edo State’s commitment to protecting children and promoting public health.
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