The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, has called for increased awareness campaign to ensure total eradication of polio in Nigeria.
This is as Sir Emeka Offor Foundation (SEOF), in collaboration with Rotary International and the National Primary Health Care Development Authority (NPHCDA), commemorated the 2024 World Polio Day with a vaccination drive on Friday in Abuja.
As part of the event, the foundation conducted a routine vaccination of children at Wuse 2, Abuja, to raise awareness about the need for continuous efforts in vaccinating and educating people on the Polio Virus.
Speaking, the Health Minister while calling for a continued enlightening campaign to avoid a resurgence of any variant in Nigeria, acknowledged the significant milestone of the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation with particular reference to its effort towards the elimination of polio in Nigeria.
“Sir Emeka Offor has done so much since I know him in our fight to eradicate polio in Nigeria. I’m happy with him and I pray he continues in this efforts. I can see women and their children everywhere around, their faces here demonstrate that all is well with them,” he said.
Pate highlighted the significance of World Polio Day, saying, “Polio is one challenge that has brought the world together to eradicate it. We’ve made significant progress over the last few decades.
“From 350,000 children paralysed by the Wild Polio Virus annually to its elimination from the entire Africa continent, with only two countries remaining.”
Dr. Emeka Offor, Rotary International Polio Ambassador to Nigeria and founder of the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation, emphasised the significance of the event.
“Celebrating World Polio Day is the right thing to do. People might think that what we’re doing is a waste of time because polio has been eradicated from Nigeria. However, we need to continue creating awareness, immunising children, and ensuring mothers are aware that the polio virus could return.”
Dr. Offor stressed the foundation’s commitment to polio eradication, saying, “Our target at the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation is to continue supporting polio eradication, promoting advocacy, creating awareness, and deploying resources to rid the earth of polio.
“Polio still exists in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Until those countries are free from the virus, we cannot rest. The government is doing its best, and one of our inspirations is the good work being done in the health ministry.”
District Governor Mike Ukachi Nwanoshiri of Rotary International said, “Today is a day set aside to review Rotary International’s programs instituted in 1988 to eradicate the endemic polio virus. We started this program on Monday, vaccinating people at the emir’s palace in Karshi.
Nwanoshiri stressed the importance of continuous vaccination efforts, adding, “We must make polio vaccination a routine endeavor,” he said. “Children born after Nigeria was declared polio-free are now part of our population and must be protected.”
On her part, Mrs. Adaora Offor, Vice President of SEOF and wife of Dr. Emeka Offor, thanked her husband, saying, “I thank the founder for dedicating his time, treasure, and resources to eradicating this ugly illness.
“I also thank Rotary Club for their efforts,” while urging the mother to put in more especially in the area of awareness?
Also speaking, a former Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Adetokunbo Kayode, SAN, at the event called on the federal government to make it mandatory for all Nigeria Children to undergo Polio immunisation.
“Poverty must be fought everywhere for our children and kicking away polio is kicking away poverty. Polio is like a death sentence in Africa. Two steps will definitely work in this direction, that’s ensuring mandatory medication and having some form of sanction. I think, there should be a kind of sanction against whatever reason our children would not be immunised.
“Another way to encourage immunisation against polio is to ensure active incentive for compliance, I think that will work and I want to sincerely thank Sir Emeka Offor for his love for Nigerian children. As Rotary Ambassador in Nigeria, Sir E had spent millions of dollars at ensuring eradication of Polio in our country,” he said.
Dr. Emeka Offor, accompanied by his wife and the Minister of Health, and former Minister, vaccinated children.
