Kano, donor agencies invest N300m in each round of polio campaign

Kano State Government, in partnership with international and local donor agencies, such as Gate & Melinda Foundation, Rotary International, and Dangote Foundation, is investing the sum of N300 million on each round of polio mop-up campaign being conducted in Kano State.

The bulk of the financial contribution for the campaign is being made by the international and local agencies, while, the Kano State government is making up for the balance which has translated in zero percent reduction rate in the case of polio in the state.

Kabiru Ibrahim Getso, Kano State Commissioner for Health, confirmed that the investments being made by the global and local stakeholders in the polio eradication campaign has made it possible for the state not to record any new cases of Wild Polio Virus (WPV) as well as Circulating Vaccine –Derived Polio Viruses Type 2 in the past 52 months.

It is a development, he said is coming on the heels of the detection of seven (7) Circulating Vaccine –Derived Polio Viruses (CVDPV) Type 2 in two neighbouring states of Jigawa and Katsina, bording Kano State.

Kabiru disclosed that in order to ensure that the state is not contaminated by the detected new cases in the neighbouring states, the state government has concluded plans to carry out a Sub-National Outbreak Response (OBR) on the 3rd to 8th of November, this year.

“This exercise is in line with the guidelines of the Experts Review Committee (ERC) on Polio Eradication and Routine Immunization (PERI) which stipulates conduct of mop-up OBR campaigns wherever the outbreak of (CVDPV) Type 2 is noticed.

“The current exercise will be conducted across the nine (9) LGAs of Kano State, which include: Ajingi, Albasu, Dambatta, Gaya, Gabasawa, Makoda, Minjibir, Kunchi, and Takai, two OBR mop-up campaigns have also been scheduled,” Kabiru said.

According to him, “I am using the occasion of this press briefing to emphasise that this campaign will involve administration of our usual vaccines given during the Routine Immunization (RI), particularly, the Injectable Polio Vaccines (IPV), but we are targeting all children aged 0-59 months in the 9 LGAs.”

“It is therefore, important that parents and care-givers bring out all the eligible children to the vaccination posts earmarked for the campaign in their areas”, he stated.

The commissioner expressed delight that the PEI has come a long way in the state and Nigeria, as it helps interrupt the transmission of WPV, and that this is gradually leading to the total eradication of polio in the country.

“This success was achieved through concerted efforts of Kano State Government under the leadership of Governor Umar AbdullahiGanduje, and the support rendered by the Federal Government, development partners, and the traditional institution,” he said.

AdeolaAjakaiye, Kano