The Rotary International has donated $5,732,360 to continue the fight against polio in Nigeria.
The donation was handed over to UNICEF Country Representative Nigeria, Dr. Pernille Ironside.
Speaking during the occasion which took place in Abuja on Thursday, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, commended Rotary International for the donation and called on other partners to support Nigeria in its efforts to become a polio free country.
The Minister said Nigeria is on its last lap to end polio and in the next couple of months would be certified polio free.
However, Adewole said the most important thing is that all children that are previously in-accessible in the North East must access vaccinations before the certification.
The Minister commended National Primary Health Care Development Agency for routine immunisation in the country.
He said there is great improvement on the coverage of immunization.
Adewole said: “There is tremendous improvement on the routine immunisation, but we are not there yet.
“We need to work hard to ensure that we reach every child so that we can beat our chest and say yes we are there.”
In his remarks, the Chairman Polio Plus Committee, Rotary international, Dr. Tunji Funsho, said polio eradication is an expensive venture that requires everybody to be on board.
Funsho said: “This donation would inspire other partners to come on board and support the Nigeria Government.
“We in polio plus committee are reaching more and more children, more and more areas that are hitherto not accessible, particularly with the support of the Military.
Speaking, Ironside said the donation was to complement government’s effort on polio eradication in Nigeria.
She said they are so interested to ensure that Nigeria is certified as polio free country, being the most populous country in Africa.
“If Nigeria succeeds, other African countries would succeed,” she said.
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