Polio: WHO Supports Immunization Of 2.5m Children In Borno

World Health Organisation (WHO) is supporting Borno State government in its bid to halt the transmission of poliovirus to children below the age of five. Over 2.5 million children are targeted in the exercise.

Flagging off the Polio Outbreak Response Vaccination (PORV) campaign, yesterday, in Maiduguri, the Executive Director of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (SPHCDA), Mohammed Alhaji, disclosed: “The vaccination campaign programme in the state was to interrupt the transmission of poliovirus that affects the lives of many children.

“The state had been without a single case of poliovirus in any of the communities for 13 months,” he said, adding that the government would continue to work to sustain a polio-free state.

Lamenting that children are at risk of polio infection, Alhaji noted that the current low level of routine immunization would worsen the situation.
In his remarks, WHO Coordinator in Borno, Dr. Ibrahim Salisu, thanked Governor Babagana Zulum for his commitment to the health sector.
He noted that the sustained polio vaccination campaign would ensure access to quality healthcare delivery in communities.

“This campaign is yet again another moment and opportunity for the state government to demonstrate its commitment to quality healthcare for all. It is a supplemental immunization exercise aimed at eliminating the risk of transmission of all forms of poliovirus.

“Our partnership with government and stakeholders has resulted in successful planning and deployment of resources for the campaign to commence,” Salisu said.

He further disclosed that 2.51 million children below the age of five were targeted for vaccination in 26 local councils in the state. Salisu, therefore, called on local council authorities and community leaders to provide the required support for a successful campaign.

He also urged parents and caregivers to come out during the four days of the house-to-house campaign. “This is to ensure that their children are vaccinated against the child-killer diseases.”