Lagos, Ogun States Move To Eradicate Polio

Professor Isaac Adewole: Nigeria’s minister of health

The Ogun and Lagos Governments have agreed to synergise on best ways to eradicate polio in the two neighbouring states.
This decision was reached at a stalkeholders’ meeting held at Abeokuta, Ogun State on Friday.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, The forum was attended by representatives of the two states, World Health Organisation, WHO, and United Nations Children Emergency Fund, UNICEF.

The delegates underscored the need to make deliberate efforts to accommodate every child in the forthcoming Outbreak Response, OBR, campaign that would take place at the border towns and hard- to -reach areas.

In his welcome address, the Executive Secretary, Ogun State Primary Healthcare Development Board, Dr Elijah Ogunsola, said that the objective of the synchronisation meeting was to improve on Polio eradication efforts of the two states urging parents and guardians to make their children available during the campaign.

Also speaking, the WHO Zonal Coordinator, Lagos and Ogun states, Dr Rosemary Onyibe, said all stakeholders have roles to play in the war against Polio, adding that the onus is on all to plan assiduously to ensure that every child was immunised.

On her part, the UNICEF Specialist, Dr Hayon Nam, said that the OBR campaign was the first in many years in Southwest Nigeria, urging participants to seize the opportunity of the campaign to root out the virus in the states.

According to the Ogun State Coordinator, WHO, Dr Sunday Abidoye, the major challenge is the awkward movement of teams in the states without proper planning, thereby missing out children in hard-to-reach areas.

He added that the meeting would ensure collaboration between ward Vocal Persons working in border areas.

In the meeting, the Ogun state Coordinator, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Olatunde Adebiyi, charged participants to be up and doing in discharging their duties.

In his own speech, the Director, Medical Services and Disease Control, Lagos State, Dr Eniola Erinosho, said stakeholders should be accountable in their effort to eradicate polio, pointing out that both states shared borders in about 10 local government areas.

Some of the recommendations at the end of the meeting were to target older settlements for end-process monitoring and for border communities to be assessed for quality activities.

Others were to ensure that coverage under 90 per cent be redone all together, as well as ensure that border activities plan template be filled in triplicate for both states before submission.