By Umar Faruk, Birnin Kebbi
No fewer than Twenty Five polio veriant cases have been discovered in nine Local Government Areas of Kebbi State, the Health Eductor, Kebbi State primary Healthcare Development Agency, Yusuf Umar Sauw disclosed.
He made the disclosure during a one day stakeholders engagement meeting held at Polio Emergency Centre in Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday.
Presenting the polio veriant cases discovered in a presentation to stakeholders engagement and other donor agencies operating in the state, Umar Sauwa said: “Nine Local Government Areas of the state were reportedly affected.”
According to him, methodology and ways are being adopted to tackle the affected areas, adding that they are trying to see how best they can stop the transmission of the disease and improve the immune system of children.
He noted that the essence of the meeting was to intimate Social Mobilisation Officers in the state on the need to come up with methodologies towards adequate information that would be communicated to the grassroots so that community would be engaged.
This, he said, would allow the community to participate to enable them achieve the set goals and objectives.
“We are trying to see how we can vaccinate children under five to boost their immunity to fill the gap in those children that are circulating veriant polio.
“We are looking at occurence of these veriant virus and vaccine, it’s a challenge to Kebbi State. We are trying to see how best we can stop the transmission of the disease,” he said.
He listed the affected local government areas to include; Birnin Kebbi, Argungu, Augie, Suru, Bgudo, Gwandu, Aliero, Fakai and Danko Wasagu.
The meeting drew donor agencies such as; Medicaid, WHO, UNICEF, Chigari Foundation, incentives as well as religious leaders from both Islam and Christianity, Journalists, traditional rulers among others.
