The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has commended Zamfara government and other stakeholders for maintaining a zero polio virus in the state.

The officer in charge of Sokoto UNICEF Field Office, Isah Ibrahim, gave the commendation during a media dialogue on polio outbreak response campaign, on Friday in Gusau.

“On behalf of the UNICEF Nigeria, I want to congratulate the 

Zamfara government for sustaining a major milestone in the fight against polio for 20 months without a single  case of the virus.

“Let me thank the efforts of Gov. Dauda Lawal, Ministry of Health and Primary Health Care Board (PHCDB) for maintaining the success.

“We also appreciate support from other stakeholders, particularly the media for the kind support during the April polio vaccination round,” he noted.

Mr Ibrahim said that UNICEF was working towards reaching every child with the oral polio vaccine and ending polio virus transmission by 2025.

“We are back today to seek your support for the June polio vaccination campaign that will commence this Saturday.

“Our goal is to reach every child in the state with the Oral Polio Vaccine,” he said.

Mr Ibrahim added that the menace of polio virus had been making children crippled for centuries until the Oral Polio Vaccine was discovered.

“I urge the media to help us reach every single caregiver in the state with the message to come together to retain Zamfara as a zero poliovirus state.

“We also have the Day of the African Child coming up on June 17.

“We hope that Zamfara will be able to mark the day to tell the world that it has successfully vaccinated all the children below the age of five against polio virus in this campaign,” he urged.

The UNICEF chief called on caregivers to allow their children to be brought for the administration of the oral polio vaccine at the doorstep of their houses.

Also speaking, the state commissioner of health, Nafisa Maradun, assured the government’s continued commitments in maintaining free polio status in the state.

Ms Maradun commended the partners, particularly UNICEF for their contributions, which she said, led to the success of free polio status recorded in the state.

The commissioner also commended local government council chairmen for their support to the polio immunisation campaign.

Ms Maradun also appreciated the support from traditional and religious leaders in the state.

She urged parents to present their children below five years for the polio vaccination exercise. 

(NAN)