3rd December, 2019
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) said Nigeria is determined to win the fight against polio.
Dr. Faisal Shuaib, the Executive Director of NPHCDA said this on Tuesday in Abuja during the 37th meeting of Expert Review Committee on Polio and Routine Immunisation in Nigeria.
Shuaib, who said that the journey toward a polio-free Nigeria had begun, however, stressed the need for health workers to access insecure areas in Borno and some parts of the North East.
He added: “In collaboration with partners, we are thrilled to be hosting the 37th Meeting of the Expert Review Committee (ERC) on Polio Eradication and Routine Immunisation in Nigeria.
“Three years and counting without the wild poliovirus in Nigeria is nothing short of a milestone. The two-day deliberation will see experts review efforts toward polio eradication and identify gaps.”
The executive director noted that the ERC members would discuss ongoing exceptional work and what needed to be done. According to him, progress have been recorded on reaching inaccessible children, sustaining communication and social mobilisation, strengthening routine immunisation and vaccine management and accountability.
He emphasised that the progress recorded as a result of the hardworking men and women of the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), partners and donors.
Shuaib said that Nigeria was grateful for the support and commitment, “it is not over until it is over. Together, we can finish the job of flushing polio out of the country.”
He expressed optimism that the country was close to obtaining a polio eradication certificate, adding that the country had worked tirelessly with a strong surveillance system.