Kano state government on Thursday vowed to sustain its status on Polio-free. The Permanent Secretary, of the state Ministry of Health, Usman Bala Muhammad said Kano state has maintained polio-free status for consecutive 63 months.
Muhammad who disclosed during a Pres Briefing to mark the 2019 World Polio Day, said Governor Abudullahi Umar Ganduje is making frantic efforts that ensure that poliomylitis remain history in Kano.
According to him, part of the efforts out in place by Ganduje’s administration to fight polio include establishment of Local Government Routine Immunization Coordination Centre (LERICC) in all 44 Local Government Areas.
He added that the Ganduje’s administration also procured and installed two 40 Cubic-metre-in cold rooms for the see state Cold Store, including construction of a new store for the walk-in cold rooms.
Muhammad listed more efforts to include, “installation of new Solar Direct Drives Refrigerators at the Ward level; sustaining in-sourced delivery of vaccines to the last mile; developed Reaching Every Ward (REW) micro-plan by all health facilities providing RI services.
“Conduct of reconciliation meeting between Ward Heads and service providers on monthly basis at Village Heads’ house; conduct of daily RI session in 95 percent of secondary Health Facilities in the state among other activities; conduct of quality Immunization Plus Days (IDPs), Supplementary Immunization Plus Days (SIPDs), National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs) and Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIAs).
The Permanent Secretary appreciated the commitment of the vaccination teams, “who sometimes risk their lives, by going house-to-house in some of the most volatile terrains and places, working along with traditional leaders to deliver this oral vaccine to our children.
“The LGA team, our taskforce members and Voluntary Community Mobilizers (VCM) are integral part of our success as they are on the front line of this crusade, for which we have almost reach an end but still requiring more efforts to take it to logical conclusion.”
He added that, “we are also aware of the contribution mof developmental partners such as WHO, UNICEF, CDC-NSTOP, Rotary International, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), MNCH2, Dangote Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
“USAID, CORE Group, KECCOH-D, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Malaria Consortium, Management Sciences for Health (MSH), Society for Family Health (SFH), HSDF, Solina, among other organizations too numerous to mention, in areas of immunization, nutrition, malaria, HIV/AIDS, Integrated Maternal, Newborn and Child Health and other health systems.”
Highlight of the ocassion include presentation of 250 Public Address System by UNICEF to Kano state Ministry of Health to enable it intensify its polio vaccination campaign.
