The Kwara State Government has issued a stern warning to healthcare workers against falsifying data during the state’s upcoming immunisation exercises, highlighting that such practices could critically undermine public health outcomes.
The directive was delivered by Prof. Nusirat Elelu, Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (KWSPHCDA), during the opening of a five-day training programme for routine immunisation officers in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area.
Prof. Elelu stated that the training is essential to ensure accurate and reliable data management throughout the immunisation value chain. “Data falsification could undermine the effectiveness of immunisation interventions and negatively impact health outcomes,” she said, underscoring that participants—comprising Routine Immunisation Officers, Local Immunisation Officers, and Monitoring and Evaluation Officers from all 16 local government areas—play a critical role in the process.
She described the training as the first of its kind in the state, designed to continuously enhance the skills and effectiveness of health workers. Prof. Elelu charged the officers to remain diligent, accountable, and committed, and to cascade the knowledge gained to colleagues at their duty posts. She explicitly warned against hoarding information, advocating instead for collective growth to improve service delivery.
Earlier, Dr. Michael Oguntoye, Director of Primary Health Care Systems at KWSPHCDA, provided practical insights on proactive and efficient data management. He stressed the sensitivity of the officers’ roles, noting that their performance could “make or mar” the success of the immunisation process in the state.
The training focuses on standardising procedures and reinforcing the importance of precise data collection, which is vital for tracking vaccine coverage, managing supplies, and evaluating programme impact. By prioritising data integrity, Kwara State aims to strengthen its routine immunisation framework, ensuring that interventions are evidence-based and resources are optimally utilised.
The state’s proactive step to train and retrain officers reflects a broader commitment to improving primary healthcare delivery. Ensuring that accurate data flows from the community level to state databases is fundamental for planning, securing funding, and achieving regional and national immunisation targets. The success of this initiative will depend on the disciplined application of the training by all officers across Kwara’s local government areas.
