Polio: FG, WHO begin vaccination

The Federal Ministry of Health in conjunction with WHO, UNICEF and partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative have rolled out an emergency Polio immunization campaign in Borno, an official said.

The UNICEF Chief of Communication, Doune Porter, said in a statement in Abuja on Friday that the campaign would commence in the accessible parts of the state.

According to Porter the campaign became necessary after two new cases of the polio virus was confirmed yesterday.

He said the campaign will begin in the accessible areas of the states stating that the outbreak occurred in the conflict-ridden community where children were already facing dangerously high levels of malnutrition.

Porter said the new discovery of the virus demands urgent attention to eradicate the disease in conflict-affected areas.

He said that Nigeria had its last confirmed polio case two years ago and was within a year of being certified polio-free because of massive mobilisation by government, partners and local health providers.

“We cannot deny the connection between conflict and the continued threat of polio. The two new cases mean children across the Lake Chad region are now at particular risk.

“With our partners, we will not stop until we reach every child with polio vaccination,” Porter said.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

cool good eh love2 cute confused notgood numb disgusting fail