Deputy India High Commissioner receives Polio Touch, assures end of polio in Nigeria

Rotary Club of Lagos Palm Grove Estate recently received the Polio Touch at Protea Hotel (Select) Alausa. The Indian Deputy High Commissioner, Kaisar Alam, who represented the India High Commissioner, A.R. Ghanashyam, was there to grace the occasion.

Also at the event was the District Governor, Rotary International, District 9110, comprising Lagos and Ogun States, Dr. Dele Balogun. Balogun described the Polio Touch, which has gone to many continents, as celebration of India being certified polio-free.

“Today, Polio Touch is here to remind us that India with a population of 1.27 billion, as at last year, which is about 100 times the size of Nigerian population, had been able to eradicate polio.”

Alam said India was able to kick out polio due to government’s determination and he was happy that Nigeria was also on course to see the end of polio.

Rotary past president, Suman Ramesh, assured Nigerians of Indian community’s continued support to end polio in the country.

Also, the incoming President of the club, Pradeep Pahalwani, gave assurances that the club would continue to create awareness and sensitize mothers to make their children available to receive polio vaccines.

and also raise funds to support Rotary International towards total eradication of polio in Nigeria and in the entire world.

“We are, therefore, proud of the achievement of India and the fact that the touch is also the symbol that Rotary is set to eradicate polio in the world. For us in Nigeria, we are so happy that we are following the footsteps of India because, since the last eight months, we have not heard about any case of polio in the country and if it continues like this, Nigeria will also soon be certified polio free.”

Dr. Balogun disclosed that the special Polio Touch has been helping to raise funds with a view to eradicating polio in the remaining countries, where the virus still exists, which include Nigeria, Pakistan andAfghanistan. Nigeria, is, however, set to be free of the endemic disease.

He appreciated the contributions of friends, governments, nations and also the past president of the Club, G.N. Patel towards eradication of polio.

Speaking also at the occasion, “However, a lot of effort is needed to ensure Pakistan and Afghanistan also get rid of the virus because as long as it remains there, India and all the countries that have been certified free of the virus are not free.
“In India, about 40 years back, there were about 200,000 cases every year with limited health centres and workers. But what India did was that she utilized all available resources in a very efficient way with coordinated effort to exterminate the scourge.

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