Emmanuel Thomas, Lagos
October 16, 2015 – The Federal Government said it is targeting 32 million children in 11 polio epidemic northern states for immunisation in an exercise which commences tomorrow, Saturday October 17 2015.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Executive Director, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Ado Muhammad identified the 11 polio vulnerable states as Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto Yobe and Zamfara.
Last month, specifically, September 25, the World Health Organization (WHO), through its Director General, Dr. Margaret Chan announced Nigeria’s delisting as a polio endemic country during the 70th United Nations General Assembly.
Muhammed who described the announcement as historic said that a formal declaration of this historic feat will be done in Nigeria before President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday 26th October 2015 by WHO team to be led by its Director General.
He explained that it took Nigeria 17 years to achieve the feat, adding that it is the result of sustained and steady progress in the polio eradication programme since 2013, when the number of cases of polio dropped from 122 in 2012 to 53 in 2013.
“The progress continued and by the end of 2014, only six cases of WPV were reported. Since 24 July 2014, there has been no reported case of WPV in any part of Nigeria. However, this interruption of indigenous WPV transmission for over a year is only a major milestone to polio eradication, which is our end point”, he said.
While congratulating Nigeria for the feat, he solicited for the continued support of all Nigerians; especially the press to be advocates of continuous vaccination of children zero to five years with the oral polio vaccine until WHO certifies Nigeria a polio free country in 2017.
“ We will be relying on you to continue to sensitize our people on the benefits of immunization and the risk of non-vaccination as we cannot afford a reversal of the gains we have made.
“Gentlemen of the Press, Ladies and gentlemen, our house-to-House vaccination of children against polio is continuous in order to boost population immunity of children zero to five years and achieve eradication status. Nigeria will continue to vaccinate these children irrespective of their previous immunization status.
“The next polio immunization campaign in 11 polio vulnerable States(Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, SokotoYobe and Zamfara) commences tomorrow, Saturday 17th October 2015.It is targeted at all children aged zero to five years, irrespective of their previous immunization status. A total of 32million children are targeted during the campaign.
“We, therefore call on all caregivers to allow Vaccinators into their homes to immunize their children against polio”, he said.
