Buhari: Economic downturn, insecurity hindering polio eradication

President Muhammadu Buhari said yesterday that in the last 14 months of his administration, there have been many challenges in the drive to eradicate polio. The president listed those challenges to include economic downturn, frequent disruption of services by health workers and the insecurity in some of the 11 polio high risk states.

Buhari, in his speech made available to State House correspondents yesterday on the second anniversary of interruption of wild polio virus transmission in Nigeria, said: “Today, July 24, 2016 marks two years since the last case of wild poliovirus was reported in Nigeria. I congratulate all stakeholders that have made this historic achievement possible and those who have worked tirelessly to maintain the effort and permanently halt new polio cases in the country.”

He said while the next major milestone for Nigeria was the certification of polio-free status in 2017 by the World Health Organisation, his government remained committed to making this a reality by continuing to support routine immunisation and revitalisation of the primary health care system.

“As a nation, we are co-operating with international public and private partners to ensure that in our lifetime our children do not suffer from this crippling disease again. We recognise the power of global partnership to achieve a polio-free world and Nigeria will continue to honour its commitment to ensure that this disease is wiped off the face of the earth for good,” he stated.

Buhari, who said he would continue to do his best to ensure timely release of funds required for polio eradication programme, assured that the good health and well-being of Nigerian children remained an important part of his administration’s drive to national development.