By Chika Obi/Chioma Nwankwo/Claribel Udah/Patricia Osegbue

To bolster routine immunization at the grassroots, Hon. Tony Nweze Nwora, Mayor of Onitsha inaugurated a dedicated Immunization Task Force and officially flagged off the first round of National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs).The ceremony, held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church podium on Awka Road, saw the Mayor represented by the Supervisory Councillor for Health, who urged the task force to exercise strong leadership and coordination. He stressed that effective fund management and the recruitment of skilled mobilization personnel are vital to the success of the immunization drive and the eradication of polio as well as other vaccine-preventable diseases.

Mrs. Elizabeth Ezedinachi, Director of Onitsha North Healthcare Services, thanked Mayor Nwora, the Health Supervisor, and the Anambra State Ministry of Health for their support. She highlighted the importance of the four-day NIPDs campaign—taking place through May 6—which will visit homes, schools, and churches to provide oral polio vaccines to children aged 0–59 months. UNICEF’s vaccine management support team, led by Ifezulike Adaobi Maureen and Dr. Abubakar M. Sani, attended the launch in Abuja.The task force, chaired by the Deputy Mayor and including the Health Supervisor and representatives from the National Orientation Agency, will oversee mobilization, implementation, and monitoring at the community level to ensure broad coverage and high-quality immunization services.

The officers are of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State