As the World Health Assembly stresses the need to eradicate polio in endemic countries, the Federal Government has assured the assembly of its readiness to eradicate the disease from the country
The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, made the commitment at the opening of the World Health Assembly in Geneva.
Chukwu said the Nigerian government had strengthened its strategies to ensure that the disease was totally eradicated from the country.
The minister described as “unfortunate” the killing of many health workers who involved in polio vaccination in the country.
He said: “Nigeria remains committed to the eradication of poliomyelitis.
“The recent fatal attacks on health workers involved in vaccinations were most unfortunate.
“We remain undeterred and have sustained the momentum to ensure total immunisation coverage.
“We have also continued with the administration of vaccines at our border posts.”
Chukwu said Nigeria would not relent in its effort until progress was achieved in the drive to nip poliomyelitis in the bud.
Earlier, Dr. Margaret Chan, the Director-General, World Health Organisation, urged all polio endemic countries to increase their efforts toward polio eradication.
Chan said a comprehensive eradication and endgame strategy was discussed and initiated in April.
She said: “In April, I attended the Vaccine Summit in Abu Dhabi, where participants explored how the Global Vaccine Action Plan could be used as a roadmap to save more than 20 million lives by 2020 by expanding access to 10 existing vaccines.
“Polio eradication was given special attention in this visionary roadmap, and a comprehensive eradication and endgame strategy was discussed and approved during the summit.
“Participants appreciated many innovations of the strategy and expressed the view that it had a very good chance of success.
“I agree, but I am also fully aware of the challenges ahead going forward in the implementation of the strategy.”
Chan said insecurity continues to compromise the eradication effort, adding that the assembly mourned the death of the many polio workers who die trying to deliver vaccines.
She expressed fear and sadness over the spread of polio to countries that were already free of the disease and called for more intensive monitoring of these area to clear the virus.
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