Jigawa State Declared Polio Free
Executive Secretary of the Jigawa Primary Healthcare Development Agency (JSPHDA), Dr Kabir Ibrahim has stated during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Thursday that the state has not recorded any new polio case in six years.
Poliomyelitis also known as polio is an infectious decease that leads to muscle weakness. This then leads to the person’s inability to move mostly the legs but in rare cases the neck and head muscles and diaphragm.
He said concerted efforts of the state government, traditional institution and other relevant stakeholders played a great role in tackling the disease.
The official, however, decried what he called the nonchalant attitude of some parents on the impotance of polio immunisation.
He added that the agency, in collaboration with other stakeholders, are doing their best in educating people on the need and importance of the immunization.
“The major challenge we are facing concerning polio immunization is that some people have poor health seeking behavior.
“Sometimes, you have to put pressure on patents, go to the villages and communities, to beg them to provide immunisation services for their children.
“Immunisation is supposed to be done in hospitals, but yet you have go to these villages and communities to beg sometimes.
“Notwithstanding, we are still educating such category of parents on the need to accept polio and other routine immunizations, and we are recording improvement in such regard,” he said.
The executive secretary, therefore, urged all parents across the state to desist from acts capable of hampering efforts in eradicating the disease.
Ibrahim also commended traditional, religious leaders and relevant stakeholders for working as “change agents” and for sensitising residents on polio and other routine immunisations in the state.
