Gombe to immunise 900,000 children against polio

Following the outbreak of Wild Polio Virus (WPV) in two local council areas of Borno State, the state’s Primary Health Care Development Agency plans to immunise over 900, 000 children.

The agency’s Executive Secretary, Dr. Ahmed Gana, told The Guardian in an interview that special attention would be paid to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)’ camps and the boundary communities in the state.

He said: “With the influx of people from neighbouring states as a result of the insurgency, we need to take precautionary measures.”

Gana expressed satisfaction with the quantity of vaccines supplied to the state by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.

He explained that one of the reported cases in Jere Local Council area was from a child who had trekked to an IDP’s camp in Muna, Maiduguri.

Gana said the second case was detected in Gwoza Local Council area, adding that Boko Haram terrorists had destroyed the health facilities in both council areas.

He added that the terrorists’ activities made it difficult for health workers to access the areas.

According to him, both cases have been linked to the polio cases detected in Bama in 2011.