Sultan urges support for polio eradication

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad
Abubakar III, on Saturday, urged
Nigerians to support the current
efforts by federal and state
governments, as well as other
stakeholders to eradicate polio in
Nigeria.
The Sultan made the call at the
inauguration of the four-day
Injectable Polio Vaccination
campaign organised by the World
Health Organisation at the Gidan-
Igwai area of Sokoto city in the
state.
Represented by the District Head of
Hamma’Ali, Alhaji Bello Abubakar,
the Sultan said, “The polio vaccine
has been certified to be safe for
children.
“This exercise will certainly boost
the last minute efforts to wipe out
the debilitating disease from
Nigeria soon and have Nigeria
certified polio-free.
“We should not endanger the lives
of our children by refusing them to
be administered with the polio
vaccine.
“The Injectable Polio Vaccine is
very safe for children, just like the
Oral Polio Vaccine.”
The Chairman of Sokoto North Local
Government, Alhaji Aminu Ibrahim,
pledged to “do everything
possible” to ensure that targeted
number of children were
immunised.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports
that the exercise is ongoing in
Sokoto North, Sokoto South and
Wamakko local government areas
of the state.
No fewer than 240,000 children
aged between 3-59 months are
being targeted in the three
councils.
The WHO had set up 411 health
camps for the purpose of the
exercise, each with no fewer than
10 health personnel, including
community and religious leaders.
A NAN correspondent who
monitored the exercise in parts of
Wamakko, Sokoto North and Sokoto
South local governments reports
that it had taken off successfully,
with high turnout of mothers
presenting their children for the
vaccination.
A cross section of the mothers also
commended WHO and other
stakeholders for organising the
exercise.

Yea,nice move..especially on little children in d north