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Health

Lagos, Ogun States move to eradicate polio

Lagos, Ogun States move to eradicate polio

Polio
Abeokuta, May 17, 2019 (NAN) The Ogun and Lagos Governments have agreed to synergise on best ways to eradicate polio in the two neighbouring states.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the stakeholders’ meeting held in Abeokuta on Friday.
The forum was attended by representatives of the two states, World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
The delegates underscored the need to make deliberate efforts to accommodate every child in the forthcoming Outbreak Response (OBR) campaign that would take place at the border towns and hard- to -reach areas.
In his welcome address, Dr Elijah Ogunsola, the Executive Secretary, Ogun State Primary Healthcare Development Board, said that the objective of the synchronisation meeting was to improve on Polio eradication efforts of the two states.
He urged parents and guardians to make their children available during the campaign.
Also speaking, the WHO Zonal Coordinator, Lagos and Ogun states, Dr Rosemary Onyibe, said all stakeholders have roles to play in the war against Polio, adding that the onus is on all to plan assiduously to ensure that every child was immunised.
On her part, the UNICEF Specialist, Dr Hayon Nam, added that the Outbreak Response (OBR) campaign was the first in many years in Southwest Nigeria, urging participants to seize the opportunity of the campaign to root out the virus in the states.
According to the Ogun State Coordinator, WHO, Dr Sunday Abidoye, the major challenge is the awkward movement of teams in the states without proper planning, thereby missing out children in hard-to-reach areas.
He added that the meeting would ensure collaboration between ward Vocal Persons working in border areas.
Dr Olatunde Adebiyi, the Ogun state Coordinator, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, charged participants to be up and doing in discharging their duties.
Dr Eniola Erinosho, the Director, Medical Services and Disease Control, Lagos State, said stakeholders should be accountable in their effort to eradicate polio, noting that both states shared borders in about 10 local government areas.
Some of the recommendations at the end of the meeting were to target older settlements for end-process monitoring and for border communities to be assessed for quality activities.
Others were to ensure that coverage under 90 per cent be redone all together, as well as ensure that border activities plan template be filled in triplicate for both states before submission. (NAN)
YAF/NNO/MST
Edited by Nick Nicholas/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Malaria eradication: Expert harps on clean environment

By Maureen Ojinaka
Eradication
Enugu, April 25, 2019 (NAN) Dr Okechukwu Ossai, the Director, Public Health, Enugu State Ministry of Health, says clean environment is one of the keys to eradicating malaria in Nigeria.

Ossai disclosed this in an interview on “World Malaria Day”  with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Thursday

He said that to maintain clean environment, water receptacles which included empty containers both around the surroundings and in drainages should be frequently removed so as not to create breeding sites for mosquitoes which often cause malaria.

The director urged the public to prevent stagnant water in their environment by avoiding blockage of water channels.

He said that disposing waste, mostly domestic waste at the appropriate dumping refuse points could help to reducing mosquitoes in the environment.

“Stagnant water in drainages allows mosquitoes to breed which increases the risk of malaria in human beings.

“When waste are properly disposed and drainages are free of waste and without any blockage, malaria and other diseases will be prevented,” he said.

He added that aside keeping the environment clean, there was also barrier protection which was sleeping under insecticide treated nets.

“Insecticide treated net is important for both adults and children as this is another way by which malaria can be prevented,” he said.

Ossai explained that malaria could be prevented if everyone could keep to basic hygiene principles both in homes and the environment.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), urgent action is needed to get the global response to malaria back on track and ownership of the challenge lies in the hands of countries most affected by malaria.

The theme of the 2019 World Malaria Day is “Zero malaria starts with me”. (NAN)
OJI/CHOM/MST
Edited by Chioma Ugboma/Muhammad Suleiman Tola