The World Health Organisation (WHO) said the African nation had made remarkable progress against the disease but warned that continued vigilance was still required.
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PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in a statement on Tuesday said the party is happy to note that polio was eradicated in Nigeria by its government as promised by former President Jonathan, who had at the 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Australia, pledged that his administration would end the polio challenge in three years time, a target which was met in 2014, when the last case was recorded. “I would like to congratulate everyone, particularly political, religious and community leaders in Nigeria and across Africa, for reaching a year without cases of wild polio”.
Polio which can cause life-long paralysis can be prevented with a simple vaccination.
He attributed the success to teamwork between government and non-governmental health organisations.
Once stigmatized as the world’s polio epicenter, Nigeria in late July celebrated its first year with no reported case of the crippling disease, having overcome obstacles ranging from Islamic extremists who assassinated vaccinators to rumors the vaccine was a plot to sterilize Muslims. But this goal means continuing vaccination drives and other community initiatives.
“Their action will guarantee a polio-free Nigeria for the unborn generation, ” Yari said. We were all here in 2012 when India exited the ignominious club of polio countries and became polio free.
Abuja – The Kano State Government has welcomed the official removal of Nigeria from the list of Polio-endemic countries.
“Nigeria still rank very poor globally and in Africa in the area of maternal and child mortality and there is need to improve our healthcare, strengthen routine immunisation and more importantly, improve our health facilities for the country to reduce the avoidable deaths of its mothers and children and this we can only achieve with the support of the key health stakeholders and development partners”, Sanni added.
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According to W.H.O, polio eradication from the globe now relies upon clearing these two countries from the ailment.
