Polio: FCTA To Maintain Zero Status
By: Emmanuel Tortiv & Prudence Okonna
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) will fervently work to maintain the zero World Polio Virus status of Nigeria and stop all forms of transmission of Polio Virus type 2 (cVPV2) from both human and environmental sources.
Minister of State, FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud stated this at the flag-off ceremony of Integrated National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs), Optimized Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week (oMNCHW), and Active Case Search, organized by the FCT-Primary Health Care Board, at the Family Health Clinic, Garki 2, Abuja.
The Minister, who was represented by the Director Admin. and Finance, Health Services, and Environment Secretariat (HSES), Noel Malan, said despite Nigeria’s Wild Polio Virus (WPV) free certification in August 2020, it was pertinent to maintain the tempo.
“It is because some states are still detecting and isolating other circulating variant forms of Poliovirus type 2 (cVPV2) which has the potential of undergoing a mutation and causing an outbreak,” Mahmoud added.
She emphasized that this has informed the resolve of the Expert Review Committee (ERC) to build population immunity of the cVPV2 by conducting high-quality polio immunization campaigns, thereby improving routine immunization.
The Minister assured FCT residents that the Administration would continue to sustain the achievements of the Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week since its inception in 2010 by improving the livelihood and well-being of women and children as well as reducing morbidity and mortality rates across the Territory.
Also Speaking at the event, the Acting Executive Secretary, FCT Primary Health Care Board (FCT-PHCB), Dr. Yakubu Mohammed, said the flag-off is basically to create awareness as well as demonstrate political will, commitment, care, and collaboration, especially from partners who are involved in maternal and child health intervention.
He said the target is to reach women and children in the 62 wards across the six Area Councils using the three-fold intervention programme bordering on Integrated National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs), Optimized Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week (oMNCHW), and Active Case Search for Diphtheria.
Dr. Mohammed said the third part of the intervention is the active case search for Diphtheria, which is a front-burner disease affecting some FCT residents.
According to the Executive Secretary, through curated questions by health workers who will be tagging along with the immunization distributors, PHCB will be able to detect if the disease has affected the target population and thereafter isolate the affected person for treatment.
He called on FCT residents to believe that what the Board is doing, is for the benefit of their children, pregnant women, and the entire community; stressing, “Because a healthy community is a wealthy community.”
Also speaking, State Coordinator Breakthrough Action, Ifeoma Chris-Okafor, said the week-long intervention is targeted at taking care of mothers and their children especially, nursing mothers.
She urged mothers to follow through with the array of information that will be dished out during the immunization campaign all through the week.
The intervention services and information include antenatal care, immunizations, Vitamin A supplementation, Deworming (Using Albendazole), distribution of Zinc/ORS, Long long-lasting insecticidal Nets, Nutrition assessment, Birth registration, exclusive breastfeeding, hand hygiene and sanitation, HIV Counselling and Testing, and Family Planning Services.
The weeklong activity is set to begin on Saturday, Nov 18th through Friday, 24th 2023, across all the Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary healthcare facilities in the FCT.
Partners present at the flag-off were the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, USAID/Integrated Health Project (IHP) Consortium, Helen Keller International (HKI) among others.
