Buhari gets certificate delisting Nigeria from polio endemic nations

• Lauds WHO, UNICEF, others
• Raises task force on eradication

WITH 15 consecutive months without any case of polio virus infection in Nigeria, the World Health Organisation (WHO) formally presented President Muhamnadu Buhari with a certificate delisting the country from the list of polio-endemic countries.

The certificate is with a proviso that if the current efforts were sustained till 2017, Nigeria will be completely de-listed from among polio infected countries of the world.

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.

Before now, Nigeria and war-torn Pakistan and Afghanistan, were the only polio-endemic countries in the world. But with the feat achieved by Nigeria, the WHO representative commended the country for being removed from the polio endemic nations and called for a sustained effort aimed at ensuring that the Nigeria does not relapse.

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.”

He assured the delegation that there would be no complacency, “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.”