M. Hamagam
17 September 2008
Gombe — General weak routine immunization coverage resulting from poor health care system exposes Nige-ria as the most polio-endemic country in the world, contribu-ting about 90 percent of the world's total cases of the six chil-killer diseases.
This was disclo-sed by the UNICEF coun-try representative in Nigeria, Dr. Suomi Sakai at the opening ceremony of the meeting of the top policy makers from 10 states supported by UNICEF D-Field office Bauchi zone in Gombe.
According to her, the record of progress achieved in immu-nization in the zone was reversed following the resurgence of wild polio virus incidence in the states, indicating that in 2006 there was a decline from 709 recorded cases to 140 reports of children paralyzed by polio in 2007.
Dr Sakai stressed that an en-hanced commitment and prog-ramme ownership by political, local, traditional and religious lea-ders on primary health care and immunization-plus days through sustained advocacy are there-fore required to improve visibility and acceptance.
She also argued that without strengthening the health care delivery system by integrating the services of the maternal, neo-natal and child health strategy in ensuring solid base for polio eradication to better the health of the children and women the whole effort would be a mirage.
Declaring the meeting open, Governor Danjuma Goje said to describe how wholly his admi-nistration had subscribed to the lofty objectives of UNICEF indi-cated that since the inception of the present government in 2003 the regular release of N43 million as counterpart funding to the in-ternational body had been main-tained.
Commenting on the health intervention programmes of UNICEF in the state, the gover-nor stated that the well-struc-tured and noble execution of various health oriented program-me had made positive impact on the lives of the people of the state.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Daily Trust. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
