WHO presents President Buhari with certificate delisting Nigeria from Polio endemic countries

WHO presents President Buhari with certificate delisting Nigeria from Polio endemic countries
 
It has been 15 consecutive months without any case of polio virus infection recorded in Nigeria. Consequently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has formally presented President Muhamnadu Buhari with a certificate delisting Nigeria from the list of polio-endemic countries and will completely delist Nigeria from among polio infected countries of the world if the current efforts were sustained till 2017. This was the condition attached prior to presentation of the certificate.

The WHO Regional Director in Nigeria, Matshidiso Rebecca Moeti, presented the certificate to Buhari on behalf of the Director-General, Margaret Chan, at the State House Abuja yesterday reported Guardian News.


Moeti commended Nigeria for being removed from the polio endemic countries and urged stakeholders to ensure that sustainable efforts are implemented to ensure there won’t be a relapse. Pakistan and Afghanistan have continued to remain in the list.

Commenting during the event, President Buhari said: “For 15 consecutive months, Nigeria has not recorded any new case of polio virus. This, as I had been briefed, is the first step towards certification of Nigeria as polio virus free country by WHO in the next two years.

“This achievement, I recall, also resonated at the 70th UN General Assembly when the Director-General of WHO, Dr. Margaret Chan, mentioned it. I therefore commend the WHO for their consistent stewardship in global health security.

“As you are aware, our efforts to eradicate this crippling disease started in 1998. It has taken a lot of toll on our country in terms of human and material resources. We are, however, not relenting as we are determined to achieve our collective goal of saving our children from further paralysis from polio.”

Assuring the delegation that there would be no complacency, President Buhari said “as we will maintain and improve on our surveillance system as well as raise the childhood population immunity against the polio virus to avoid any spread of the disease. The Federal Government will sustain the current momentum and we shall continue to regard this campaign as an emergency until we are declared polio free in the next two years.”


This story first appeared on ngrguardiannews.com

SOURCE
HEALTHNEWSNG