The Rotary Club of Nigeria has called on the Federal Government and other stakeholders to redouble their efforts on funding and advocacy towards keeping polio at zero level in the country.
The Rotary Club Governor, District 9110, Mrs Omotunde Lawson, made the call in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during 2022 World Polio Day walk.
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The walk which featured club members from Lagos and Ogun, took them to some major markets, parks and garages in Abeokuta, to educate and enlighten residents on the danger of polio virus.
Speaking with newsmen, Lawson said although Polio has been eradicated in Nigeria but “it’s never over until is over.”
According to her, there is still polio in some countries and polio anywhere in the world is polio everywhere.
She expressed concern that funding of polio has reduced drastically after the virus had been eradicated in Nigeria.
Lawson noted that polio vaccine, movement of volunteers, advocacy and other actions against polio still require huge funding in order to keep the virus at zero level.
In her words, “Although Polio in Nigeria had been eradicated to a minimum level we have to keep the advocacy a continuum of activities because there are two countries in the world where polio is still endemic, and Rotary Club believes that polio in one place is polio in everywhere.
“We need to support our parents, our future children, we need to tell the whole world that two countries are still endemic to polio, so our kids must be immunized because we don’t know who they are going to meet in the in the future.”
Lawson maintained that there is a need to keep healthy living, just as she warned against open defecation.
Also, the Chairman of polio plus Ogun State 2022 doubled as the director of health services at the Federal University of Agriculture Funnab Dr Abiodun Amusan, posited that it is pertinent to maintain the eradication of polio in the world.
He maintained that the eradication of polio “is the number project of the Rotary Club in the whole world”, while tasking the federal government to always encourage media campaign against the virus.
He said ” To bring polio to zero level the I things I think we need from the federal government is to increase the awareness level.
“Many people may still claim lack of awareness about the polio vaccine. The immunization is free, you don’t need money to take It, even pregnant women can’t take it to prevent their unborn child against polio.”
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