Rotary targets world-free polio in 2019 as Gombe immunizes over 6000

The President, Rotary International, Ravi Ravindran, has said that it was targeting a world without polio disease by 2019.Ravindran who stated this in Abuja at the 7th District Conference of Rotary International District 9125 said that the club expects every country currently fighting polio to interrupt transmission of the virus this year, and continue vaccination against the disease till 2019.

He pointed out that the World Health Organization, (WHO) only offers polio-free certification after three years of interruption by any polio-endemic nation, without any case of the disease recorded within the period.

The Rotary President noted that Nigeria interrupted the scourge in 2014, and was delisted as polio-endemic country by WHO last year. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two remaining countries currently battling the disease.

He noted: “As we look ahead to Rotary’s future, we look forward as well to our greatest achievement yet; the eradication of polio. We hope and believe that in this year, the world will see its last case of this terrible disease. Yet, as we all know, reaching this milestone does not mean that we have reached the end of our work, three years must pass before the world can be certified polio-free.

“During that time, we must continue to immunize children, continue to monitor the environment for signs of the virus, and keep awareness high. In these most critical days, every one of us has a role to play in ensuring our success,” he added.

This is coming as Gombe State Primary Heath Care Development Agency following the detection of circulated polio virus in Borno state, is to immunize about 6000 children on the virus in the six local government areas in the state in an effort to drastically eradicate the virus in the state.

Deputy Director Immunization of the Agency Mr. Musa Ibrahim Kuna disclosed this yesterday in an interviews with The Guardian.Kuna explained that the exercise, which is expected to last four days, started yesterday and will end on May 12.The Deputy Director appealed to the public as a matter of urgency to immunize their children to avoid been affected with the virus.

He said government had provided necessary logistics to enable the agency carry out its function effectively.He said that the local government areas that the exercise would be conducted are Nafada, Funakaye, Balanga, Akko, Gombe and Yamaltu/Deba local government areas.

Speaking on the theme of the conference “Celebrating a Gift to the World,” Ravindran said: “Rotary membership is on the rise worldwide. With Rotarians serving in more clubs than ever before, it is our responsibility to keep looking, both within the Rotary family outside of it, for new members, finding ways to smooth the path from our youth programmes to Rotary membership, while continuing to reach out to older members who still have so much to give. It is also our responsibility to keep up the momentum; to ensure that every new member finds value and meaning in Rotary, and becomes an asset to their club.”

Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, at the event called on Nigerians to imbibe the key objectives of Rotary, commonly referred to as the four-way test.

Dogara, who was represented by the Deputy Chief Whip of the House, Pally Iriase, said that if people in the country live by the four-way test advocated by Rotary, things would be positively turned around as desired by the majority of the nation’s population, and as has been intended by the present Federal Government.

His words: “The four way test of Rotary is all about building good character and positive change in society. A citizenry that identifies itself with it will become more patriotic to the fatherland. In the same way, public servants who practice the four-way test will eschew corruption and sharp practices in the discharge of their duties. Besides, if government policies and programmes are guided by this unique four way test, the country will definitely change for good,” he said.

He added: “The Rotary International has over the years carved a niche for itself as one of the foremost organisations that promotes service to humanity. Any people-driven leadership has some lessons to learn from it.”

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Muhammad Bello, commended the organization at the event, noting that wherever there is need, Rotary would always be ready to assist.
Bello, who was represented by Mr. Buba Gumawa, urged other organizations across the globe to emulate the club.