Kano govt vows to combat resurgence of Polio, begins vaccination

The Kano State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to support the fight against the resurgence of poliovirus in the state.

The state governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, made the pledge during the official launch of the Polio Vaccination Exercise in Gabasawa LGA on Saturday.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, expressed concern over the resurgence of polio in 26 states, including Kano, following Nigeria’s certification as polio-free by the World Health Organisation on August 25, 2020.

A statement by Ibrahim Garba Shuaibu, the Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, noted that Yusuf said the decision to start the campaign in Gabasawa was because it had the highest ratio of unvaccinated children in the state, as per health reports.

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The governor disclosed various national and international donors, such as WHO, UNICEF, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the African Field Epidemiology Network, Clinton Health Access Initiative, Dangote Foundation, and the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, have provided resources to support the fight against the Polio Virus.

Yusuf assured that all hospitals in the state will be improved to ensure an effective response to health issues.

Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran, urged parents to cooperate and ensure their children receive proper vaccination.

He also announced that the Kano Primary Health Care Development Agency would begin distributing syringes for vaccination in various LGAs from the following week.

Additionally, Labaran appealed to the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency to supply more vaccines to Kano state, not only for under five children but also for over 20 million people, including pregnant women.

The Emir of Gaya, represented by the District Head of Gabasawa, Alhaji Sani Dawaki, appreciated the state government for launching the exercise in Gabasawa LGA and requested improvements in Gabasawa hospitals and an increase in the number of doctors for better health service delivery.