Abia First Lady Urges Zero Tolerance For Polio

Wife of Abia State governor, Priscilla Otti, has called for zero tolerance for polio in the state, stressing that every child must have unhindered access to immunisation.

Mrs Otti made the call during the flag-off of the National Immunisation Plus Days held at the Aba South local government area secretariat in the commercial city.

The event was organised by the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency in partnership with the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Women Affairs and other critical stakeholders.

Represented by the wife of the deputy governor, Adaeze Emetu, the first lady lauded the governor, Alex Otti for the current retrofitting of health facilities across the state which she described as landmark interventions.

The first lady emphasised the need for mothers to ensure that their children receive life-saving immunisations, noting that “it is crucial to securing the future health and well-being of the next generation.”

At the event, the commissioner for Health, Enoch Uche, represented by the chief medical director of the State University Teaching Hospital, Aba, Ijeoma Nduka, applauded the administration’s health sector reforms.

In a contribution, the executive secretary of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Kalu Ulu-Kalu, reiterated the state’s commitment to achieving total polio eradication.

Ulu-Kalu, who emphasised the safety and effectiveness of the oral polio vaccine, called for strong community ownership of the campaign, especially at the grassroots level.

He, therefore, urged parents and caregivers to take full advantage of the Immunisation Plus Days, assuring that trained vaccinators would reach every home and ensure that no child is left behind.

Similarly, the Health Authority secretary of the area, Uchechi Enyinnaya, thanked the wife of the governor and her husband for championing the polio eradication effort and supporting child health.

The event featured the symbolic immunisation of infants, the formal flag-off of the Immunisation Plus Days campaign, which was attended by traditional rulers, health professionals, and top government officials