Mohammad Gana, Yobe commissioner for health and human services, says with sustained and concerted efforts, Nigeria is on course to eradicate poliomyelitis.

Mr Gana made this known at a news conference marking the 2025 World Polio Day in Damaturu on Friday.

This year’s theme is “End Polio: Every Child, Every Vaccine, Everywhere and Finishing the Job: Our Legacy for a Polio-Free Nigeria”.

He explained that political commitment, sustained momentum, high-quality campaigns and strong community engagements were critical to eradicating the viral disease.

The commissioner acknowledged that the federal government and Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) had focused on strengthening surveillance to find and respond to the virus and closing immunity gaps to stop it from circulating.

“Nigeria continue to implement multiple vaccination campaigns to raise population immunity and prevent spread of virus.

“Activities in the area continue to focus on reaching every child and closing immunity gaps in populations that have previously been inaccessible and improving surveillance activities,” Mr Gana said.

He, however, warned that this progress could be reversed if there were complacency and waning commitment from stakeholders.

“Now is not a time to step back; the final steps toward polio eradication are the most critical and challenging.

“Any complacency now could reverse the decades of progress. Continued commitment is a must by all.

“Children and youth demand a polio-free future; children and youth have the right to grow up free from polio, which is lifelong consequences,” he said.

The commissioner, recommended strategies to end polio including strengthening routine immunisation campaigns for all children in remote and conflict affected areas.

“A range of innovative strategies are used to reach children in high risk areas, including opportunistic campaigns, that are run whenever security permits, hit and run and market vaccination.

“Others are Identify, enumerate and vaccinate at cross boarder points and outreach to nomads and migrant population,” he said.

Others are regional, national and international support to close immunity gaps as well as identifying and stopping rumours, misinformation and disinformation about the disease.

Mr Gana reaffirmed that polio vaccines were safe, effective and the strongest defence against paralysis and even death.

The commissioner attributed the success recorded by Yobe in polio eradication to the sustained commitment of Governor Mai Mala Buni to resource mobilisation and the stewardship of Idi Gubana, Mr Buni’s deputy and state chairman of the task force on immunisation.

(NAN)