Kaduna, Nigeria, 17 July 2015 - The Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has assured the World Health Organization (WHO) that, “we would do anything at our disposal to ensure that the state remains polio free and counterpart contribution to the expanded programme on immunization is released despite the economic challenges”.

Mallam El-Rufai made the pledge with further assurances of the premium he places on health issues during an advocacy meeting with the WHO Kaduna state team at the Government House on 16 July, 2015.

Since 2003, Kaduna has been the base of scholars and religious leaders who used media platforms to launch negative campaigns against the polio vaccine and immunization. In 2004, these negative campaigns led to delayed immunization of children that resulted in the spread of new polio infections within Nigeria and to other parts of western and central Africa, jeopardizing previous accomplishments made by the global   polio eradication partners.

The governor, who restated WHO leadership role in the polio eradication initiative to journalists after the meeting, used the occasion to further endorse the efficacy of the oral polio vaccine. His words: “I believe that polio vaccine is safe and as such, will continue to attest to its safety by publicly giving it to my children anytime I am called upon to do so”.

To  demonstrate his belief in the safety of the oral polio vaccine, Mallam El- Rufai had during the flagged off ceremony  of July  2015 supplemental immunization activity  at the Layi Zamfara in Tukur Tukur ward, a traditional  chronic noncompliant area of  Zaria local government area,  publicly vaccinated his two eligible children. Health workers noted that following  the public vaccination of his children, over 50 noncompliant caregivers presented their children for vaccination for the first time.

In his presentation at the meeting, Dr Audu Musa Idowu, the WHO state coordinator (SC) informed the governor who assumed office on 29 May 2015 that the state had been polio free since November 2014. He also reminded him that by 24 July this year (pending negative results of all stool samples collected up to this date), Nigeria would be one year without any cases of polio reported but warned against complacency especially with the challenge posed by the isolation of circulating vaccine derived polio viruses isolated from samples of environmental surveillance from the Kamacha river of Kaduna State.

He further stated that the country must ensure that no WPV is diagnosed in the coming two years to ensure polio eradication.

The SC also highlighted areas for prioritization in the health sector such as the upgrading of the measles laboratory in Dantsoho primary health care center in Kaduna metropolis and the strengthening of Emergency Preparedness and Response committee to be able to handle emergencies in the event of disease outbreaks.

Finally, the WHO team promised the governor and people of Kaduna state of the Organization's continued technical support towards building sustainable and strengthened health systems.

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For more information, please contact:

•    Technical contacts:
Dr Richard Banda; Tel: +234 803 535 4875; Email: bandari [at] who.in
Dr Audu Musa Idowu; Tel: +234 803 700 5376; Email: okechm [at] who.int

•    Media contact:
Ms Charity Warigon; Tel: +234 810 221 0093; Email: warigonc [at] who.int
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Below:

01 Governor Nasir El Rufai (middle) with WHO Kaduna state team

02 The governor taking  his child to the venue of the  polio campaign flag-off ceremony in Zaria