By Nene Olaye
The Edo State Government through the Edo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (EDSPHCDA), in partnership with the International Vaccine Access Centre (IVAC), the Africa Saving Lives Konsult (ASLK), and other key partners including the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF), has launched a two-day onboarding and orientation workshop for Local Government Area (LGA) IVAC Technical Assistants (TAs) at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA) in Benin City.
According to the Executive Secretary of EDSPHCDA, Dr. Coulson Oahimire Osoikhia, the LGA IVAC TAs are expected to play a crucial role in providing support to several LGAs including Ovia South-West, Owan East, Esan West, Orhionmwon, and Egor in strengthening the State’s preparedness for the upcoming Measles Rubella campaign in year 2026.
Dr. Osoikhia, represented, provided an overview of the Measles Rubella micro-plan and emphasized the importance of achieving at least 95% coverage when the campaign commences in 2026. In the opening remark, the NPHCDA Zonal Technical Officer Mr. Jerry Osawe, advocated the need for effective collaboration among stakeholders to ensure that the State meets its vaccination targets for Measles Rubella in 2026.
The workshop covered several important topics including the Measles Micro-plan and Development of Daily Implementation Plan, Advocacy, Communication, Sensitization, and Mobilization (ACSM), Monitoring and Evaluation, and Accurate Data Reporting. The State Technical Assistant (STA), Dr. Rachel Osagie, led a hands-on session, walking participants through the operational guide on micro-plan and data verification.
Some of the pre-implementation responsibilities of the LGA IVAC TAs were outlined as supporting the LGAs teams in reviewing and validating ward-level micro-plans; collaborating with LGAs teams to pay advocacy visits to Council chairmen and Ward Development Committees (WDCs); working with Ward Focal Persons (WFPs) to reactivate non-functional WDCs and Village Development Committees (VDCs); collaborating with LGA Health Education Officers (HEOs) to update the list of schools with current phone numbers and contact persons among other numerous responsibilities.
Highpoint of the Workshop was the completion of a post-test evaluation to assess participants’ understanding and readiness for the upcoming tasks.
Facilitators from the NPHCDA, EDSPHCDA WHO and UNICEF during the workshop for IVAC LGA Technical Assistant at JOOPSA, Benin City
