We will fight polio with N9.8bn - FG

 

The Federal Government has announced the approval for the revision of the nation’s Wild Polio Virus outbreak response plan, releasing N9.8bn to fight the disease, especially in the North East.

The government also stated that Nigerians going on Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia would undergo “compulsory immunisation against polio ‎as one of the conditions for entering the Holy Land.”

“Plans are underway to reinforce and intensify immunisation of intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia,” the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said at a press briefing on Wednesday evening in Abuja.

“To this end, adequate supplies of vaccines have been provided at different international port health locations and airports. This is consistent with the International Health Regulations.”

Adewole explained that the new response plan to included five rounds of polio campaigns, three of which are focused on 18 Northern States and two to be conducted nationwide.

The Minister gave the assurance that funds would not be an issue, as the country had enough fund coverage for Polio.

He said, “We have earmarked N9.8bn for polio and by Monday the entire N9.8bn will be released. For the sub-national campaigns, 31, 540, 054 children are targeted to be vaccinated each round with oral vaccines across states in the North-East, North-West and North-Central zones of the country. For the nationwide response, 56, 363, 618 children will be vaccinated between October and November 2016.

“The revised plan was informed by factors such as historical data on WPV affected areas, pattern of transmission over the last five years, population displacement due to insecurity in the North-East, likelihood of spread of the virus to other neighbouring countries and population immunity.

“Furthermore, the justification for the expansion of the initial schedule includes the fact that, given previous history of exportation to other countries and the suboptimal routine immunisation coverage in several countries in the African region, the response requires that adequate protection be provided to the vulnerable children at risk of infection.

“Reports from the detailed investigation carried out by our team revealed that both cases came from security compromised areas of Borno State, which have limited access to any form of health services including immunisation.”