Polio Vaccination: NGO Calls For More Sensitization

Women Friendly Initiative (WFI), an NGO, has called for more sensitization and education of the public, especially parents on the importance of immunization of children against polio.

Dr Francis Eremutha, the Chief Executive Officer of the organisation made the call in Gwagwalada on Monday.

Eremutha also appealed to religious bodies and other organisations to sensitize the people to ensure that children between ages zero to five years were immunised.

According to him, immunisation of children will prevent them from having polio as well as prevent the spread by those who already have it.

He also advised that cases of polio be reported early so that treatment would be administered to prevent the spread of the disease.

“There is no need to wait until polio is discovered before it will be reported. Parents should report such case early enough, ‘’he said.

The CEO said that doing this would help eradicate polio in the community and the nation at large.

“Polio is a communicable disease and it will be terrible if children who have it transfer it to those who do not have.

“We want to make sure that only those children within the range of ages one to five are vaccinated.

“We want to make sure that they are vaccinated properly, polio is more deadly than AIDS.

“We cannot afford to see this communicable disease go round our country and the society when we can prevent it.’’

He said that the NGO had embarked on sensitisation programme in some communities to let people know how the disease could be communicated as well as how to prevent it.

“We want to see a country free from polio and we are working to ensure that there is no such case in all communities in FCT.

“So I want to reassure parents that health programmes are for the development and progress of the people.

“It is an act of preventing these diseases and not an act of humiliating individuals, so parents should be rest assured of health programmes.