Enugu Recorded 100% Success In Polio Immunisation —PHCDA

Enugu Recorded 100% Success In Polio Immunisation —PHCDA

The Enugu State Government has said that it recorded 100 per cent success in the just-concluded Sub-National Immmisation Plus Days meant for polio vaccination.

 Dr. George Ugwu, the Executive Secretary of Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA), disclosed this in an interview with NAN in Enugu on Saturday.

Enugu State Government had targeted no fewer than one million children between the ages of Zero and 59 months. The statewide exercise, which was scheduled for four days, was held from Jan. 18 until Jan. 21.

Ugwu, however, said that the agency had to add additional two days for mop-up in areas that failed to achieve 100 per cent target to ensure that no child was left out in the state-wide polio vaccination.

“This time the Sub-National Immunisation Plus Days we just-concluded was very successful. I can categorically say we recorded 101 per cent even exceeding the numerical mathematical 100 per cent. “Our national supervisors, partners, and other stakeholders were so impressed with the success and vast reach of our immunisation teams during the exercise.

“The national supervisors were particularly impressed with our overwhelming improvement in the last exercise and they lauded Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for his uncompromising support to healthcare matters especially vaccination exercises,’’ he said.

According to him, the agency remains grateful for the huge support from Gov. Ugwuanyi even as international funding for the exercise continues to dwindle.

Ugwu, who said that the state had been without polio for the past 11 years, noted that the agency would continue to maintain its polio-free status.

“Agency will not relent in keeping Enugu State polio-free even as the state would join the rest of the country to get the international polio-free certification soon,’’ he said.

He said that part of the success could be attributed to the renewed enthusiasm among local government vaccination officials/teams to compete with each other and outdo each other in their reach and target of the children to be immunised.

The ENS-PHCDA boss, however, thanked UNICEF, WHO, and other partners for their training and technical support towards the huge success of the exercise.