The Yobe State Ministry of Health and the State Primary Health Care Board in collaboration with other development partners have flagged off the polio eradication campaign for the entire state in Machina, the headquarters of Machina local government area.
The executive secretary of the State Primary Healthcare Board, Babagana Kundi-Machina has while launching the campaign against the disease in Machina, a border LGA with Niger Republic said the exercise became necessary taking into cognisance the dangers of the disease in the state.
Dr Kundi said the choice of Machina was strategic because as a border village, the area is vulnerable, regretting that Yobe has recorded four new polio cases in three local government areas (LGAs) three years after the state was declared polio-free.
“It is unfortunate that after three years of being certified polio-free, we have recorded a circulating polio-virus outbreak in Bursari, Machina, and Yusufari LGAs,” he said.
He said the state government, in collaboration with its partners, have been working round the clock through state-wide response and vaccination against the outbreak with a view to addressing the situation.
Also, the state coordinator of WHO, Hamisu Alhassan, pledged the organisation’s support to the state toward containing the outbreak.
He urged the public to adopt preventive measures especially personal and environmental hygiene and immunisation to boost immunity and promote good health.
The Emir of Machina, Alhaji Bashir Albishir Machinama called on his subjects to cooperate with the government by accepting the vaccine.
The royal father thanked the state government for its prompt response and pledged to sensitise his community to take relevant steps to contain the disease.
