Kwara state government reaffirmed commitment to maintaining the state’s polio-free status and also flagged off the November Sub-National Immunization Plus Days Campaign at the Emir of Ilorin palace.

Speaking during the meeting with the Emir, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, the executive secretary, Kwara State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Nusirat Elelu, urged the traditional rulers and other stakeholders to support the campaign.

Elelu, who reaffirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining the state’s polio-free status, said that the present administration would continue to ensure routine immunisation and meet the standard requirement for quality polio campaign.

She explained that, “The state’s Polio-free status had been as a result of the present administration’s proactiveness and commitment to funding of the immunisation programme in the state.

“The traditional rulers needed to support the campaign to achieve a successful immunization programme in the state.”

Elelu described Polio as a preventable disease through vaccination, saying immunisation remains the best protection against Polio and recommended it for all infants, and children to protect them from the harmful effects of Polio.

She also implored all mothers, caregivers, schools, religious and community leaders to make available all children and wards between the ages of zero to five years for this round of the national immunization plus days beginning from 11th to 14th of this month across the 16 local government areas of the state.

The World Health Organization representative, Dr. Ahmed Saliu, who spoke on behalf of other partners, appreciated Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for prioritizing health care delivery for its citizens.

He also commended the Executive Secretary for Primary Healthcare Development Agency for working together with partners in order to achieve universe health coverage in the state In his remarks, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari urged residents to complement government efforts in the fight against preventable diseases among the children in the state.

The Emir, who spoke through Baba Isale of Ilorin, Alhaji Abdullahi Sodiq said, “All the interventions of the present administration are geared towards reducing mortality rates to the barest minimum, urging Kwarans to support the programme by bringing out their wards to be immunized.”