Kwara to vaccinate 1.5m children against polio disease
The Kwara State Government, through the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, has said that no fewer than 1,527,859 children between 0-5 years have been captured for the November edition of the 2024 Outbreak Response (OBR) to circulating Mutant Variant of Polio Immunization campaign to boost the immunity of the children.
According to a statement by Dr Nusirat Elelu, the Executive Secretary, of Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KWSPHCDA), who disclosed this recently during the OBR planning meeting, the campaign is expected to cover all the nooks and crannies of the state, beginning from Saturday, 30th to Tuesday, 3rd December, 2024.
The Executive Secretary, of Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KWSPHCDA), Dr. Nusirat Elelu, disclosed this recently during the OBR planning meeting to ascertain the state’s level of preparedness for the campaign.
Dr. Elelu explained that poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious viral disease that largely affects children under 5 years of age, noting that the virus can be transmitted through the fecal-oral route or less frequently, by contaminated water or food and the virus multiplies in the intestine from where it can invade the nervous system and cause irreversible paralysis.
The Executive Secretary, while also stressing that children aged 0-5 years are to be captured irrespective of their previous vaccination status, added that the vaccine is safe, efficacious, and does not have an overdose.
She, however, called on all parents, caregivers, religious houses, schools, and Quranic institutions to make eligible children available for vaccination as the teams move from house to house and move to markets, religious houses and schools.
The Executive Secretary also stated that the state government has continued to partner with development partners such as the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), to sustain the immune system of the citizens.
The Executive Secretary commended the unwavering support and financial commitment of the state governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, for prioritizing the health of Kwarans by ensuring that quality healthcare services are available and affordable in government-owned facilities across Kwara state.
