Jumoke Olasunkanmi
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has initiated an emergency operations centre meeting with the World Health Organisation (WHO) in a bid to combat polio and ensure optimal vaccination in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Executive Director, NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, while meeting with WHO’s representative, Dr. Walter Kazadi, in Abuja on Tuesday, emphasised the need for unique strategies aimed at addressing peculiar challenges facing polio eradication in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).
Although Nigeria was declared free of the wild poliovirus in 2020, the variant polio virus2 (cVPV2) strain is still in transmission with 168 cases reported in 2022.
According to Dr. Shuaib, the focus of the meeting was on generating creative solutions to ensure that every child in FCT receives polio vaccination.
He continued by saying that working with foreign partners demonstrates a commitment to a polio – free Nigeria, stating: “As the FCT continues its unwavering commitment to combating polio, these collaborative efforts between health authorities and international partners demonstrate the dedication to achieving a polio-free Nigeria.”
