CCPN task government on polio eradication
The Centre for Communication Programs in Nigeria (CCPN), has commended the Federal Government for the level of support provided to healthcare workers and other stakeholders in the fight against Polio.
CCPN, a nonprofit organisation which is specialized in the development and implementation of strategic health communication projects and programs made this known in Abuja after conducting an on-the-spot assessment of the recently concluded routine immunization exercise in the Federal Capital Territory.
The CCPN team, which monitored the exercise in Kuchingoro Primary Health Centre (PHC) in the Abuja Municipal Council Area (AMAC), commended the level of compliance but noted that a lot more could be done to improve awareness especially to women living in hard-to-reach communities.
While commending AMAC for taking the lead in ensuring that every child in the council is immunized, the Executive Director, CCPN, Mrs Babafunke Fagbemi stressed that eradicating Polio in Nigeria is a priority that must be taken seriously.
Fagbemi urged the Federal Government to invest more in Primary Health Care and routine immunization in the country in order to stem the tide of childhood diseases and eradicate polio.
According to her, if Nigeria is certified Polio-free, it will contribute to the victory against the virus in other African countries. She, therefore, urged political office holders and other stakeholders especially in the North Eastern part of the country, to double the efforts in the fight against polio.
The Communication Specialist lamented that it is disheartening that Nigeria is holding Africa back in eradicating the virus, adding that the Federal Government must bring the End Polio campaign back to the front burner as a priority.
“The Federal Government must be commended for its efforts in the past but we cannot afford to drop the ball and return to where we are coming from. At this time, it is even more important that the Federal Government deploys every relevant manpower and equipment to reach children in the far North-Eastern part of the country,” she said.
Fagbemi further noted that government must re-double its efforts especially, in the wake of the resurgence in polio cases witnessed about two years ago.
“There must be concerted and genuine efforts from the federal government to kick polio out. The government must know that it is not over until it is over and this is the time to put our feet on the pedal and make history by kicking polio out for good. Government and every relevant stakeholder must show total commitment by putting more resources into polio and the routine immunization,” she summed.