The Yobe State Government has reported four new cases of polio across three Local Government Areas (LGAs), marking a concerning setback three years after the state was declared polio-free.
Dr. Babagana Kundi-Machina, the Executive Secretary of the State Primary Healthcare Board, made the announcement during the launch of a campaign against the disease in Machina, a border LGA to Niger Republic, on Saturday.
“It is unfortunate that, after being certified polio-free for three years, we are now facing an outbreak of circulating poliovirus in the Bursari, Machina, and Yusufari LGAs,” Kundi-Machina stated.
In response to this development, the state government, in collaboration with its partners, has initiated a comprehensive outbreak response and vaccination campaign aimed at mitigating the spread of the virus.
Dr. Hamisu Alhassan, the State Coordinator for the World Health Organization (WHO), expressed the organization’s commitment to assisting the state in controlling the outbreak.
He urged the public to embrace preventive measures, emphasizing the importance of personal and environmental hygiene, regular handwashing, and immunization to enhance immunity and safeguard public health, particularly among women and children.
Emir of Machina, Alhaji Bashir Machinama, encouraged his community to cooperate with the government’s vaccination efforts.
He thanked the state government for its swift response and pledged to educate his community on the necessary steps to combat the disease effectively.
, three years after the state was declared polio-free.){kind=link}