Polio: Jigawa targets 1.7m children for immunisation

The Jigawa Government says it will immunise over 1.7 million children against polio in its ongoing campaign against the disease across the state.

The Executive Secretary, State Primary Health Care Development Agency (PHDCA), Dr Kabiru Ibrahim, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Dutse.

Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious viral disease which mainly affects young children. The virus is transmitted by person-to-person spread mainly through the faecal-oral route or less frequently, by a common vehicle (e.g. contaminated water or food) and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system and can cause paralysis.

Initial symptoms of polio include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck, and pain in the limbs. In a small proportion of cases, the disease causes paralysis, which is often permanent. There is no cure for polio, it can only be prevented by immunization.

Ibrahim said more than 5,000 ad hoc staff were engaged for the exercise going on simultaneously across the 27 local government areas.

He said the agency had also deployed qualified personnel to monitor the exercise.

Ibrahim commended traditional and religious leaders as well as other stakeholders, including international donor agencies for their support and cooperation in ensuring the smooth conduct of the exercise.

The secretary, who expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance by parents, appealed to them to cooperate with immunisation officials to ensure a hitch-free exercise.

“Cooperation on their part will facilitate quick response in combating the disease and addressing other emergency situations in the state.”

NAN reports that the current round of polio immunisation commenced in all the local government areas, on Jan. 28.