The Nigerian Ministry of Health in collaboration with National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA have reiterated commitment to stop the transmission of all forms of polio in the country.
The Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Faisal Shuaib gave the assurance during the second quarter review meeting of Northern Traditional Leaders Committee, NTLC on PHC delivery in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Dr Shuaib announced that as part of efforts to strengthen PHCs with improved delivery of reproductive, Maternal Child and Adolescent Health services across the states, the Nigerian government through the NPHCDA has launched and commenced the rollout of the community based innovative research program.
The NTLC meeting is a platform for the NPHCDA and Partners to engage traditional leaders on their role and responsibilities towards improving primary health care delivery in their communities.
It also gives the opportunity for dialogue on how to reduce the zero-dose burden in the number of children under five years of age who have never had a dose of the required vaccinations for their age, and improve PHC service delivery in the country.
“The core of this meeting is to provide updates on the campaign against circulating Variant Polio Virus type 2 (cVPV2) and plans to introduce Human Papillomavirus vaccines into the Nigeria Immunization Schedule, and the milestones towards immunizing 70% of the eligible population against COVID-19,” he said.
Dr. Shuaib noted that the NPHCDA is pleased to host the second quarter review meeting of the Northern Traditional Leaders Committee, NTLC on Primary Health Care (PHC) Delivery.
The chairman of the Northern Traditional Leaders Committee on PHC delivery and the Emir of Argungu, His Royal Highness, Smaila Muhammed Mera said traditional leaders would continue to ensure that every child is reached and parents re-educated enough to being demand instead of being cajoled to bring their children forward to assess vaccines.
The WHO Public Health Emergency Advisor, Dr. Alexander Chimbaru said that strong committed engagement, including the traditional leaders, committees like this has helped Nigeria in sustaining the status of zero world polio virus.
Dr. Chimbaru explained that Nigeria, zero forward for polio virus, continues to see a downward trend in the isolation of foreign poliovirus type two circulation when compared to the last two years which means they have actually gained ground in the control of CVPV2.
“However, we are still not out of the woods because an estimated 6.2 million children attend their first five days without this uptake of NASA antigens needed for protection against the zero just children in Nigeria. “For the virus transmission is sustained in security affected areas of Northwest Nigeria, we have provided exceptional leadership in providing access to the responders as well as those providing services. We really appreciate that contribution from the traditional leaders,” he said.
The Sultan of Sokoto and Patron of the Northern Traditional Leaders Committee on PHC delivery, His Eminence, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar who celebrated the existence of the Committee 14 years ago said it has been a long journey but a very successful one and used the opportunity to thank Almighty Allah for the blessing given to the committee to walk for humanity in Nigeria and celebrated across the world.
In his words, “We will continue to support the activities of the government at all levels, because we are major stakeholders in this governance issue in this country and we believe governments at all level need our support, our encouragement, and we will give full support and encouragement to the governments especially when you have a new executive at the provincial level, you have so many governors coming in, who never knew anything about the work of this committee, there’s need for us to have a meeting with them as soon as possible to integrate them what we have been doing in the last 14 years”.
All the NTLC representatives from the 19 Northern states and the FCT, NPHCDA management and development partners led by the WHO, UNICEF and BMGF were in attendance.
Confidence Okwuchi
