Emirs seek total eradication of polio
The Northern Traditional Leaders Committee on Primary Health Care Delivery wants polio to be totally eradicated in the country. The committee, in collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, yesterday converged on Kaduna for its second quarter review meeting with a view to ensuring that the wild polio virus is eradicated in Nigeria totally.
Speaking at the meeting, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, who was represented by the Emir of Bade, Alhaji Abubakar Umar, said reported cases of polio reduced from 800 to 100 when traditional leaders were involved in the campaign.
He said 40 years ago, polio was taken care of by the traditional council, stressing that now that the agency had included traditional institution in the campaign, a lot would be achieved.
He stated: “When we came on board, over 800 cases of polio where being recorded and in the first year we came in, it reduced to less than 100 and today, we have achieved two years without any child being paralyzed by polio and what hindered the success is the insurgency in the North East, not all the children in the area could be accounted for to receive the vaccine.”
He said the committee would continue with its traditional methods and strengthen its modalities.
NPHCDA Executive Executive Officer Dr. Director/Chief Faisal Shuiabu, said it was unprecedented that for over two years, no child in Nigeria had been paralyzed by the wild polio virus
“This a huge improvement in our health indices and if this persist, for the next 12 months, then we will have a situation where the world health organization WHO will look at all the information that is available , all the detail that is available and then begin to consider Nigeria as having eradicated polio myelitis once and for all.
He, however, noted that due to the insurgency in the northeast, Nigeria had not been able to eradicate polio.
Earlier, the Shehu of Bama, Kyari Ibn Umar El-Kanemi, urged the committee to put in more efforts on advocacy, mobilization and resolution of any outstanding case of refusals.