Governors' Forum lauds states over polio

IMPRESSED by their commitments towards the eradication of polio in the country, the Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF) has commended 36 governors for signing the Immunisation Leadership Challenge Award under the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) initiative.Meanwhile, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative in Jigawa State, Mrs. Jane Nyanzi, has disclosed record of two new cases of polio-virus in Gwiwa Local Council of the state.Nyanzi, who made the disclosure yesterday during a meeting with journalists in preparation for polio-free torch campaign schedule to be held in the state tomorrow, indicated that the new outbreak would bring the total recorded so far in the state to 11 this year alone. Speaking in his office on the significance of the award, Director General, NGF, Mr. Asishana Okauru, said: 'It means the governors have once again demonstrated their resolve to stimulate direct oversight and leadership in the final onslaught to end polio and strengthen routine immunisation. This certainly would ensure that Nigeria interrupts polio-virus transmission by the end of 2012.Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in collaboration with the NGF, had earlier praised the commitment of the governors to end polio.'As governors push hard over the next year to achieve the 2012 deadline to end polio, I want to ensure that their efforts are acknowledged and that the governors are simultaneously supported to tackle other key problems they face in their states', he said in a statement released by the Foundation.The Leadership Challenge Award is meant to spur the governors to deliver a dramatic improvement in polio eradication and routine immunisation by the end of 2012. It will recognise governors whose states pass a pre-defined threshold to improve routine immunisation coverage and end polio. The states that meet the threshold criteria will be awarded a cash prize by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to enable them 'support their top health priorities'.She identified the affected council areas to include Ringim, Babura, Guri, Roni, Birnikudu, Dutse and Gwiwa.She emphasised the need to sensitise the people to accept immunisation, pointing out that non-compliance with OPV and high numbers of missed children were the reasons for incessant outbreak of the virus.Nyanzi noted that poor commitment by the team of vaccinators remains a big challenge.She, however, called on stakeholders to intensify efforts to fight the scourge to achieve total eradication by 2012.The UNICEF official challenged the traditional rulers to decide a way of monitoring the health facility workers to ensure all routine immunisation facilities are given.
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