Make your children available for Polio immunization, Sokoto govt, UNICEF, NOA tell residents

Sokoto state government is set to partners with National Orientation Agency (NOA) and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), to step up awareness on the benefits of Polio vaccine among children in the state which it says is to help in secured the future of the children to live a happy life.

This was disclosed by the Director National Orientation Agency in the state, Alhaji Abubakar Danchadi, during a sensitization meeting between the agency, UNICEF, State primary health care agency as well as journalists against polio (JAP), held at Darkani hotels, Sokoto.

He disclosed that the agency is working tirelessly in partnership with the federal and state governments to ensure the success of the exercise by eradicating polio in Nigeria.

He said the agency has sent out a team to enlighten the residents of the state on the danger of polio and other child killer diseases in the country.

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He said, “the national orientation agency has representatives in all the twenty-three local government area, and they are there to enlightened parents and guardians on why they should allow their children to be vaccinated.”

Also speaking, Mallam Bello Abubakar, representing the executive secretary of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Alhaji Adamu Romo, disclosed that the last exercise suffered a minor setback in some local governments across the state.

According to the data which was released by the agency, Rabbah local government area has the highest number of 132 cases which was due to the security situation in the area. This is followed by Gwadabawa 93 cases, Illeila and Goronyo local government with 76 cases each.

Others are Tambuwal with 53, Yabo 26, Shagari with 25 followed by Dange Shuni with 18 cases and Tureta with 21 cases. Kebbe, Tangaza, Sabon Birni, Gada, Binji, Isa and Gudu local governments completed the dat a with 19, 15, 9,10,6,3 and 1 respectively. The reasons given for these selected cases were either security, religious and political differences.

He, however, appealed to members of the public to fully participate in the upcoming exercise which he said will come up later in the month.

He reminds parents that for every one polio victims in an environment, not less than 250 children in the area are at risk of contracting the deadly disease.