The Borno State Government has put in place mechanism for the early detection of wild polio virus in communities liberated from the Boko Haram terrorists to avoid its spread.
The Commissioner of Health, Dr. Haruna Meshelia, made the statement on Wednesday in Maiduguri, while speaking with newsmen.
Meshelia was reacting to the latest discovery of wild polio virus in Monguno, headquarters of Monguno Local Government Area, on August 25.
He blamed the outbreak on the Boko Haram terrorists, who he said abducted several people and prevented them from accessing health care services.
Meshelia said: “At a point almost 20 out of the 27 local government areas in the state were under the control of the terrorists.
“So the outbreak of polio in the state was an accident waiting to happen.”
The commissioner said the first two cases of wild polio virus were discovered on August 10 in Jere and Gwoza LGAs, adding that the third outbreak was reported on August 25 in a two-year-old child in Monguno.
He said: “Standard protocols were followed and the case was confirmed positive on September 2.”
Meshelia described the outbreak of polio in the state as “unfortunate”.
He said: “Borno was one of the early states in the North to stop the transmission of the polio virus; we have interrupted the spread of polio as early as 2013.
“But the Boko Haram terrorists frustrated our plans by creating territories and disallowing people from accessing health care services.
“Following the development, the government entered into an agreement with the military authorities for the deployment of health officials to communities liberated from the terrorists.
“We have put some health officials on standby for posting to communities liberated from the terrorists to carry out integrated family health care on the people including immunization against polio.
“There is no community that had been liberated that does not have health officials posted on permanent asis to prevent any health hazard.”
The commissioner said that government had also embarked on massive immunization of children against the virus in all parts of the state.
Mshelia remarked: “We have embarked on immediate response by immunizing all children against polio.
“We are now using injectable vaccine which is more effective that the usual drop in the mouth of children.”