Co – chair, Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, Mr. Bill Gates says despite the fact that the World Health Organization has certified Nigeria as Polio – free; the country must not relent in immunizing its children.
“Our Polio work is not done, We still have the vaccine for Wild Polio and we need to maintain immunization in case Polio escapes from the two countries in Asia where it still exists”, he stressed.
He stated this during Virtual Kano State Health System Strengthening Program meeting, in which the state governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the Chair, Dangote Foundation, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire and other key public health officials participated.
Mr. Gates advised that thes state need to reinforce its Routine Immunization efforts, with the active participation of traditional leaders, so that the successes recorded in the previous anti-Polio campaigns could be maintained.
“I am pleased to hear that the Kano State Task Force on immunization also includes Primary Health Care as its focus”, adding that Primary Health Care program areas in the state should be strengthened as part of effort to ensure community well being.
He recalled that since 2012, Kano state had not defaulted in contributing to the health basket fund, hoping the trend would be sustained for the success of the partnership.
Speaking at the meeting, the Chairman, Dangote Foundation, Alh. Aliko Dangote explained that he was happy with the way the Ganduje administration handled the pandemic of Covid 19.
“Kano has shown the world what it can do to respond to emergencies, adding that same way the Governor and his team kept their energy going with Polio, he urged them to keep it going with the Covid 19 response”, he remarked.
He further stated that his foundation would continue to support the state government towards making its immunization and Primary Health Care systems more resilient.
Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje stated that strengthening the healthcare delivery system in the state remained a priority of his administration and that Kano state will also strive to scale up strengthening of 2 – way referral linkages between primary and secondary health care facilities”.
Signed:
N. A. Hassan (Mrs.)
Head of Center
Kano.
