President Muhammadu Buhari will host the World Health Organization (WHO) regional director for Africa, Matshidiso R. Moeti on Monday, October 26. And the reason is a great one!
he WHO plans to officially announce the removing of Nigeria as a Polio endemic country.
Linus Awute, the permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, said on this development: “The Regional Director will meet with Mr. President to formally announce to the Government of Nigeria the WHO’s decision to remove Nigeria from the list of Polio endemic countries, as a recognition of the immediate achievement of Nigeria in stopping the transmission of the Wild Polio Virus for a period of fourteen months, which has exceeded WHO’s target for interruption.”
Moeti is also expected to underline to policy makers and key shareholders, that despite marvelous progress in Nigeria, satisfaction is not a luxury at the disposal of the administration and partners until the gains of this great feat is continued for two years to be able to achieve the certification of Nigeria as a Polio-free nation by 2017.
Nigeria will continue to vaccinate children, irrespective of their previous immunization status in directive to promote population immunity of children.
Buhari during his interface with the High Level Advocacy Team on Poliomyelitis stressed that his government “would provide the necessary oversight over the programme to ensure no child ever gets paralyzed again by Wild Polio Virus”.
The president consequently directed the Federal Ministry of Health and its agency to come up with programme elements that would bear the gains and maintain the momentum towards achieving a final certification.
Polio is spread by poor sanitation and contaminated water and usually affects children.
The virus attacks the nervous system and can cause irreversible paralysis – usually of the legs – within hours.
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