Abuja — WORRIED over its enlisting as the only country in Africa that is among polio endemic countries along side with India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Federal Government on Tuesday said it has put modality in place to free the country from the virus infection this year.

Minister of state for health Dr. Idi Hong who disclosed government readiness at the unveiling of Dan Maraya Jos as Rotary Polio Ambassador and the Release of Radio Commercial in Support of Polio Eradication in Nigeria in Abuja Tuesday said the country will be using the new bivalent polio vaccine which is proven to be more effective in eradicating the virus from the country before the end of the year 2010.

He expressed disappointment that Nigeria is battling with polio at the time other countries are making progress in other areas to improve on their economies, pointing out that until the virus is totally eradicated with other diseases that post serious threat to the lives of the people, the country will not meet the health related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Hong, who said efforts made by the present administration in flushing out the virus from the country has yielded promising result, noted that the country needed to sustain the temple in other to pave way for its total eradication from the society.

He, however, called on the relevant stakeholders to contribute their quota in the fight against the pandemic, assuring that ending the scourge of the virus in the country was possible in the year 2010.

According to him; "we have all it takes to end polio virus in the country before the end of this year. We are going to achieve the feat and have a polio free country. This administration has greater concern for the future of its children and must pursue their course. And for us to attain this height, we must also sustain the efforts of the past".

Speaking, the Executive Director of National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) Mohammed Ali Pate said the January 30th to 2nd February first round of National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs) when mothers and caregivers will be asked to bring out their children for immunization, will represent an unprecedented opportunity to secure a polio-free- Nigeria.

Pate noted that in 2009, 388 polio cases were recorded in the country, while the last six months of the year saw a drastic decline with only 28 recorded cases. He stated further that in November 2009, there were just two cases, adding that none have been recorded so far in December and January this year.

Pate stressed that the 2010 round of the immunization would redouble efforts to protect the country's children in every corner of the nation from the paralyzing virus, adding that "new innovation, promising epidemiology and support at all levels can be a combination for success".

According to him, during the NIPDs, for the first time, Nigeria will be using the new bivalent oral polio vaccine in tackling the two types of the remaining wild poliovirus in the country (type1 and type2).

He said that through the Abuja commitments, the executive governors have committed to provide active leadership of polio eradication activities in the various states, including directing local government areas Chairmen to ensure that all children under five are reached and vaccinated during the exercise.

Stating that the unwavering support of the northern traditional leaders to provide oversight during IPDs has increased the number of children reached with oral vaccine in high-risk states, Pate said the singer Dan Maraya Jos was joining the urgent effort to stop polio as he was named the rotary international 's ambassador for the polio eradication.