POLIO IMMUNIZATION FLAG OFF IN KANO

Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State, North-West Nigeria has disabused the minds of parents in polio endemic communities over negative perceptions about the dreaded child killer disease, saying that polio vaccines do not in any way cause infertility.

The Governor also urged parents of children under the age of five to refrain from resisting the immunization of their children.

Governor Kwankwaso was speaking at the flagging off ceremony of the 2011 fourth round of immunization Plus Days at Yan Alewa in Kumbotso Local Government Area of the state.

He expressed concern over the fresh cases of poliomyelitis recently reported in five local government areas of the state.

Our Correspondent in Kano, Enenche Akogwu reports that the immunization flag off ceremony was held in the most polio endemic community in the country, Yan Alewa in Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State.

The choice of Yan Alewa for the flag off ceremony of the 2011 fourth round immunization exercise was not out of place, because it is the most polio endemic community in Kano State, and by extension, the country.

The Governor, who kicked off the immunization exercise, pleaded with parents of children under the age of five to cooperate with immunization officials, adding that the state government would do anything it can to kick out the child killer disease from the state.

The Governor also emphasized the importance of cleanliness to healthy and civilized living, a realization, he explained, informed the decision of his administration to reintroduce the monthly sanitation in the state.

Traditional rulers, religious and community leaders were at the occasion to demonstrate their commitment to the fight against poliomyelitis, with each of them pledging to redouble their efforts to see to the end of the scourge in Nigeria.

The flag-off ceremony of the 2011 polio immunization exercise represents a final push to kick out polio out of Nigeria by the end of this year, and with just five months away, the realization of this tall target would require all hands on deck.

Kwankwaso told the gathering that it was unfortunate that Nigeria still featured among the four polio endemic countries in the world despite efforts by the government and international donor agencies to eradicate it.

He was particularly disturbed that polio virus was recently identified again among children in five local government areas in the state, and emphasized on the need for the people to collaborate with the state government to wipe out the disease.

Furthermore, Kwankwaso maintained that "scientific evidence has shown that the disease is not associated with genie or evil spirits and the Polio vaccine is not administered with ulterior motives. We can all see the physical damage it has done to some of our children", the governor asserted.

Reiterating his administration’s commitment to do all it can to eradicate polio, the governor pledged that the State government will give all the logistical and financial support toward achieving the set goals.

In a speech on the occasion, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero was who represented by the district head of Ajingi, Sarkin Yakin Kano, Alhaji Wada Aliyu Gaya noted that diseases, especially those affecting children can be prevented by inoculation, hence the need for husbands to allow their wives to make available their children for routine immunization.

The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency representative, Dr. Adamu Nuhu and the representative of international donor agencies, Dr. Sulaiman Abdullahi restated the willingness of the agency to partner with the state government to safe guard the lives of children in the state.
- Channels TV Nigeria
-