Rotary committed to assisting Nigeria meet WHO Polio-free certification in 2019

Rotary International has reassured Nigerians of its commitment to support the country in ending polio infection in Nigeria and secure World health Organistion (WHO) Polio-free certification by 2019.

Dr Tunji Funsho of Rotary International District 9110, Nigeria and Chairman, Rotary Nigeria PolioPlus Committee, gave the assurance in an interview with our correspondent in Port Harcourt.

Rotary International District 9110, Nigeria, covers all Rotary Clubs in Lagos and Ogun States.

Funsho spoke with our correspondent on the sidelines of the visit of Rotary International PolioPlus Committee Chair, Michael McGovern to Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

He said that as part of efforts to combat polio, the club was collaborating with the Nigerian Medical Corps to ensure that children in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Camps across the North-East were adequately immunised.

“You may recall that Nigeria was on the verge of being certified Polio-free by the WHO but this was truncated following the return of four infected children who as a result of insurgency in the North-East were not duly immunised.

“Our most recent strategy to combating the disease is by getting the Nigerian military to assist us to immunise children in IDP camps.

“We are making efforts to ensure that the Nigerian Medical Corps takes up immunisation exercise to those areas we may not be able to cover due to our peculiar security challenges,” he said.

Funsho said that though most parts of the western world were already free from polio over two decades ago, they have remained committed to contributing funds and technical support to end the epidemic in other parts of the world.

“Recently, the U.K. government has provided 100 million Pounds sterling to enhance global fight against polio.

“The same with other governments, European Union, Canada and even the Nigerian government.

“Here in Nigeria, the Federal Government has also provided 95 million dollars to combat the disease.

“I think Nigeria saw its last polio case last year and so I’m hopeful that in the next two years we shall be certified a polio-free country,’’ he said.

The chairman said that the club in partnership with WHO, UNICEF and community development bodies would remain focused on ensuring that no child was paralysed by polio.

Funsho added that the club in an effort to end polio was also setting up robust structures to tackle other childhood diseases.

Our correspondent reports that Rotarians have helped to immunise more than 2.5 billion children against polio in 122 countries.

Nigeria is one of the remaining three countries where polio is still present though Aug. 24 will make it one year since the country reported any new case of polio.

It is for this reason that the International PolioPlus Committee Chair Rotarian McGovern is on an advocacy visit and while in Nigeria, he will meet with the Government of Nigeria.

He will also assess the levels of polio immunisation implementation and will meet with Rotarians and PolioPlus team members as well as visit IDP camps and tour polio projects in Lagos, Abuja and Maidugiri.