As stakeholders in the global war mounted to make Nigeria free, the Kano office of World Health Organisation has solicited for the support of Nigerian Media in achieving the target of putting an end to polio in the 17 months.
The body said that the support required was particularly to ensure the interruption of the transmission of Wild Polio Virus (WPV) which was achieved in the past one year is sustained.
Bashir Fagge, Kano State Coordinator of WHO, made this call while addressing members of the Journalist against Polio (JAP), at a one day stock taking interactive forum organized to appraise the achievements recorded in the area of polio eradication in the state.
Speaking at the event which took place at Koroda General Hosptial in the metropolis, Fagge commended the members of JAP for the support given which led to the new national height achieved in the polio eradication initiative; want the support of the group to be improved upon.
He disclosed that WHO is ready to assist JAP to re-packaged, so as to widen its scope of intervention from the current position of providing media support for polio eradication alone, cover other disease that can immunized.
“While commending JAP for the wonderful role it is playing in the polio eradication initiative, I will employ you to help us strengthen routine polio immunization.
“This I believe you can do through using your platforms as well as skills to provoke the demand for immunization by members of the community, particularly, in vulnerable areas, such as rural settlements” he explained.
In a presentation made on behalf of JAP during the event, Aisha Ahmed, acting chairperson of the group, revealed that the body is contemplating changing its name to reflect an anticipated widen of it health intervention role.
The new role being proposed by the group, according to her, includes advocacy, as well as surveillance of the diseases that required immunization, such as Measles.
Mean-while, the on-going Immunization Plus Day (IPD) initiated by the state government, in conjunction with other local and international partners in the polio eradication project, is expected to end this weekend.
Monitoring the event at Nassarawa Local Government Area, one of the few LGAs where the programme is taking place, Health Business and Living observed that the vaccination exercise was going on seamlessly.
The exercise which started last Sunday in the designated LGAs entails vaccinators going to apartments in the areas where children under the age of 5years are found administering oral polio vaccines.
The exercise taking place in Nassarawa LGA, which is one of the LGAs situated in the metropolitan District of the state, is being coordinated in a General Hosptial in Brigade area.
However efforts made to extract information from the Head of the Department of Health of the LGA on the number of children captured during the last exercise did not succeed, as he refused to respond to enquiries.
Immunization is the process whereby a person is made immune or resistant to an infectious disease, typically by the administration of a vaccine. Vaccines stimulate the body’s own immune system to protect the person against subsequent infection or disease.
Immunization is a proven tool for controlling and eliminating life-threatening infectious diseases and is estimated to avert between 2 and 3 million deaths each year. It is one of the most cost-effective health investments, with proven strategies that make it accessible to even the most hard-to-reach and vulnerable populations. It has clearly defined target groups; it can be delivered effectively through outreach activities; and vaccination does not require any major lifestyle change.
Adeola Ajakaiye
