The wife of Abia State Governor Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu, has led Abia women, stakeholders and medical workers to campaign for zero tolerance of poliomyelitis in the State.
Leading the campaign at the Flag Off of the First Round of the National Immunisation Plus Days held in Aba North Local Government Area of the State, Mrs. Ikpeazu, said that the administration of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has determined to keep this deadly disease away from our children and to provides enabling environment of healthy living for them.
According to her, “oral vaccines and other routine vaccines will be administered to children within the bracket of zero to five years, regardless of their already established Immunisation status”.
The Abia First Lady therefore called on parents, community, religious leaders, caregivers, medical workers and other stakeholders to ensure with total commitment that Abia achieve 100 percent coverage in this round so that our children will be free and their future secured away from this deadly killer diseases.
The Governor’s wife also explained that government has become increasingly concerned about reducing the cases of maternal and child mortality.
In this regard she maintains that Abia government is on the verge of setting up a mother and child hospital in the state as well as strengthening primary health institutions with improved communication links to secondary and tertiary health institutions in the State.
However, Mrs Ikpeazu added that the government is already providing free home care services for the elderly, procured 6 mobile equipped ambulances and thanked the Aba North LGA, State Ministry of Health, Primary Health Care Development Agency, International Donor Agencies and other stakeholders for participating in the campaign.
Meanwhile, in his address, the Executive Secretary, Abia State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Chinagozie Adindu explains that polio is a highly contagious disease caused by the polio virus.
The disease according to Adindu, spread fast in areas of poor sanitation and also occurs in the throat secretions and could be spread by airborne through sneezing and coughing.
Adindu also noted that Nigeria is one of the countries, including Afghanistan and Pakistan where wild Polio virus transmission has not been interrupted and called on parents and caregivers to allow house to house vaccinators to immunize their children at home.
In his remarks, the Transition Committee Chairman, Aba North, Barrister Charles Esonu, said that the campaign is significantly geared towards total eradication of poliomyelitis in the state and thanked Abia First Lady for leading the campaign.