A polio survivor, Malam Rilwan Abdullahi, has called on the various governments to sustain Nigeria’s zero polio status by strengthening routine immunisation and keeping up the sensitisation campaign against polio and other child killer diseases.
Speaking on the sidelines of a rally and road walk from Kaduna state Ministry of Health to Magajin Gari to mark the 2022 World Polio Day organised by the Rotary Clubs of Kaduna and Kaduna state Ministry of Health, Abdullahi, who is the Chairman of Polio Survivors Association of Nigeria, said there is cause for celebration since 2012 when Nigeria was declared polio free but the celebration should not take stakeholders’ eyes away from the goal but remind them on need to maintain the zero status.
“We are celebrating the World Polio Day. There is cause for celebration because Nigeria has been declared polio free since August 2012. The special monthly immunisation days have now been replaced with routine immunisation, but the routine immunisation should be strengthened to address polio and other child killer diseases in Nigeria. We should not be seated relaxed that polio has been eradicated, we should tighten our belt and do everything possible to sustain the zero polio status.
“We can maintain the zero polio status through constant sensitisation, engagements, dialogues with parents, guardians and stakeholders to give out their children for immunisation. The development partners should not relent on their efforts, they should continue to do more to sustain the drive.
“Sustenance is a challenge in any project, but the capacity of the health providers and the system has been built by the development partners, so government should sustain the project and invest well on its sustainability to avoid another breakout,” Abdullahi said.
For the Rotary Club Field Coordinator, Polio Eradication, Mrs. Grace Sadiku, the World Polio Day is another opportunity to sensitise the public on the need to maintain the zero polio status and ensure that every child from birth to five years is immunised against polio and other child killer diseases.
“We are celebration the World Polio Day through sensitisation, rally and road work to ensure that we keep polio at zero status and sustain the health of our children,” she said.
