World Polio Day: Kaduna celebrates polio free status

-Kaduna state celebrates 5 years without polio virus.

-The state is stepping up plans to make the state totally virus free.

The Executive Secretary, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA), Dr. Hadiza Balarabe has urged the state to focus on keeping its polio free status which it achieved since 2012.

The official disclosed this during a rally to mark World Polio Day in Kaduna, stating that the achievement has not stopped the agency from implementing polio immunization across all communities in the state.

Represented by a deputy director in the agency, Hamza Ikara, the executive secretary stressed that they would not relax in administering the oral polio vaccine to children under-five until the virus was totally eliminated in the country.

She enjoined parents to ensure that their children were not left out in the exercise.

“Tremendous achievements were recorded from December 2012 to date.

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“Nigeria recorded only four reported cases of wild Polio Virus in Borno State in 2016 as against zero cases over the same period in 2015.

“Kaduna state in particular did not record any case of wild polio virus since November, 2012.”

She said the celebration presents an opportunity for all stakeholders to evaluate and rub mind on the successes, challenges recorded so far as well as chart the way forward in making the state totally polio free and ensure total eradication of the virus not only in Kaduna, but nationwide.