WHO Director Commends Nigeria

PROFOH as an organization has immunized over 10,000 children during the operation Kick Polio /Out of Nigeria in Rivers State South-South of that country, we would like to express our profound gratitude to Cliff Henry Jarrell for providing that leadership. Jarrell is a Board member of our organization.

Dr. Margaret Chan made the commendation at the opening of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland  which ensured that no new cases were reported in the last nine months, she equally commended Nigeria for its relentless efforts to rid the county of polio disease. Nigeria’s recognition by the WHO came as a result of its aggressive response in tracking the polio virus, as no case has been reported in the southern part of the country during the last five years, with the exception of two states in the North, no polio virus infection has been reported in the past two years in the Northern states.

The nation has strengthened surveillance and routine immunization to ensure that all eligible children receive the polio vaccine. If Nigeria’s efforts are sustained by next month (July) the country would be removed from the list of polio endemic countries by WHO. Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only three countries endemic to polio. India was declared polio-free last year by the WHO.