The Senate President, Dr.
Abubakar Saraki has congratulated Nigerians for maintaining a 365 days free of
poliomyelitis (Polio) in the country.
Dr. Saraki said the successes
recorded in Nigeria in Polio eradication in the past 365 days without a single
case of the virus was as a result of the relentless hard work of partners,
religious, community leaders, and health workers.
He expressed how pleased he is
with the successes in Polio eradication that has a case study of 801 wide cases
of polio reported in 21 states in 2005 with 62 wild cases and 34 circulating
vaccine-derived cases (cVDPV) that had an endemic transmission rate in 2011
coupled with 122 wild cases and 8 circulating vaccine-derived cases.
The Senate President who is a
Medical Doctor further expressed his happiness in the containment of Polio in
the country because the transmission rate in 2012 was endemic with reported 53
wild cases and three circulating vaccine-derived cases which were recorded as
transmission endemic in 2013 to now having no documented case of poliomyelitis
in 365 days.
Senator Saraki disclosed how he
undertook a bipartisan approach as the chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum
(NGF) by leading his colleagues, public-spirited groups and companies in
private sector to partner with Federal Government and Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation to develop a better and more extensive polio immunization in
Nigeria.
He credited the successes
recorded in the eradication of the virus to the introduction of the
immunization Leadership Challenge.
He explained that the challenge,
which was designed in partnership with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to
reward states in Nigeria that made significant improvements in polio and
routine immunization coverage was to fast track achievement of the global milestone
of interrupting further transmission of polio virus in Nigeria.
Senator Saraki urges Nigerians
not to relent in this fight against polio which has been responsible for
significant number of mortality and morbidity mostly in children under 5 years
of age stressing that as long as a single child remains infected, children in
all countries are at risk of contracting the virus.
The Senate President emphasizes
the imperative need to continue the good work towards eliminating this
crippling and potentially fatal virus until the World Health Organization (WHO)
certifies that Nigeria is a polio free come 2017 and take Nigeria off the list
of countries where the disease is endemic and for Nigeria as a nation to adopt
this approach to tackle other diseases currently prevailing in the country.
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