The World Health Organisation (WHO) has pledged continuous support for the country in its fight against epidemic diseases and in emergency responses especially in the North-eastern part of the country.
This was made known by WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, during a press briefing in Abuja on Saturday, October 14, 2017.
Ms Moeti who is on a two days official visit to Nigeria to assess the organisation’s humanitarian activities in the North-East reaffirmed the organisation commitment to partner with Nigeria on matters of mutual interest regarding international health development in Africa and Nigeria in particular, especially on the current response to polio eradication and monkeypox outbreak.
She said, “We have been supporting malaria policies as it has remained one of the child killer diseases and we are ready to partner with the government in support of other international health agencies to rebuild the hospitals in the North-east as we are campaigning for Universal Health Care.”
While commending WHO, Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole said WHO has been of tremendous help to the country especially in humanitarian activities and containing the spread of diseases. He said her visit is not only expected to strengthen support of WHO to Nigeria in her fight against humanitarian emergencies but also to advocate the effective implementation of the “Transformation Agenda” of the Regional Director.
Mr Adewole said, “Though the aim of her visit is the North-east, the organisation, however, will be working across the country. She is also here to assess our policies on Universal Health Care and how far we have been in achieving this,” he said. He also stated that the country would soon be declared polio-free as there has been no sighting of a new case since the last one that was reported in the north-east part of the county in 2016.
He concluded by saying, Nigeria will leverage on the visit to deepen the country’s collaboration with WHO.
Ms Moeti had flagged off an integrated polio and malaria campaign earlier in the day in Borno where she commended the government for its early alert of the WHO on cholera and suspected monkeypox cases in the country.
