…..Making Routine Polio Immunization is our top priority–UNICEF
By Rabiu Sanusi
The director general of Kano State Primary Healthcare Management Agency Muhammad Nasir Mahmoud pointed out that the state government has put modalities in place to ensure success as it has commenced a polio vaccine campaign in some selected areas.
Mr Muhammad stressed the need for public education and enlightenment, attributing the low immunization coverage in the last few years and non-functional primary healthcare centres as some of the major catalysts to the current situation.
The director said there is a global mission presence to curtail the situation and Kano state government would provide all the necessary support to achieve the desired objectives.
In his remark one of the UNICEF key lead officer leading Kano office Mr Micheal Banda said strengthening the system and making routine polio immunization is their top priority.
Mr. Banda added that”is critical to child survival, as such there was an urgent need for relevant stakeholders to collaborate and ensure that children below 5 years receive all vaccines.
Mr.Micheal described media as partners in progress that are crucial in managing misinformation about vaccines to promote uptake for immunity against childhood killer diseases.
“UNICEF would continue to support the primary healthcare system to ensure there’s at least one functional PHC in each LGA in Kano, Katsina and the country at large.
In his views the UNICEF Kano field office Mr Ogu Enemaku about Polio Outbreak How they can Ethically Engage with Affected Communities, the social and behaviour change specialist.
Mr Ogu also identified feedback and complaints, evidence-based advocacy and decision-making as some of the key elements of accountability to affected persons.
On his part the state epidemiologist Dr Shehu Abdullahi Explained that the polio virus invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis within hours.
Dr Shehu saying that, it can be transmitted from one person to another mainly through the faecal-oral routine or less frequently contaminated water or food.
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