The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said it targets 2.5 million children for the 2024 third routine immunisation against polio in Borno state.
Borno state coordinator, Dr Ibrahim Salisu, stated this Tuesday in Maiduguri at the flag-off of the Polio Outbreak Response (OBR) vaccination campaign held at the palace of the District Head of Old Maiduguri (Ajari).
He stated that WHO would continue to support Borno state government in health matters to improve the healthcare delivery system while revealing that, so far, the world body has supported the state government on health and medical workers’ trainings, provided sophisticated equipments and tools alongside other facilities towards improving primary and secondary healthcare services in the state.
The WHO coordinator further appealed to the health workers and staff handling the polio immunisation and other services across the state to work in synergy with the local government workers and other stakeholders during the administration of the immunisation exercise.
He also called on community leaders, religious bodies and others to support the health workers to immunise their children while giving assurance of continuous support to the state government on any health matter or emergency.
Salisu commended the Borno state government’s commitment to quality health care despite the recent devastating flood incident, noting that the OBR immunisation camping was organised by the Borno Primary Health Care Development Agency in collaboration with WHO and other partners such UNICEF, AFNET, Rotary International, etc.
“We are gathered here to flag off the House-to-House polio vaccination campaign targeting about 2, 556, 423 eligible children for polio vaccination across the state.
“Early this year, we implemented two rounds of vaccination campaign to respond to a polio outbreak with remarkable successes.
“This is yet another opportunity for us to vaccinate our children, protect them, and interrupt the transmission of the vaccine-derived polio virus.
“For this campaign, WHO has supported the government of Borno state in providing technical support, data tools, and training to 3,903 vaccination team members,” Salisu said.
In his remarks, the executive secretary, Borno Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Mohammed Arab Alhaji, said polio immunisation is a critical exercise and important towards the advancement, promotion, development and enhance health of the people, particularly that of children under five years.
The executive secretary who was represented by the director of Disease Control and Inspection (DDC & I), Hajiya Fatima Ali, noted that polio vaccination is essential while recognising the support and role of WHO and other partners in containing the disease in the state so far at the lowest level.