NEC sets up committee on ‘complete eradication of polio’

The national economic council (NEC) on Wednesday set up a committee on eradicating circulating polioviruses in Nigeria.

On August 25, 2020, the Africa Regional Certification Commission (ARCC) for polio eradication officially declared Nigeria free of indigenous wild poliovirus.

However, there have been outbreaks of variant poliovirus (cVPV2) and mutant poliovirus type 2 (cMPV2), which occur as a result of immunity gaps in children.

Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare, who briefed State House correspondents at the end of the NEC meeting, said the committee, to be chaired by the governor of Gombe, would help to achieve the government’s objective of completely eradicating polio in the country.

“NEC passed a resolution in which Nigeria had succeeded in eliminating the wild poliovirus, but there are remnants in a few states,” he said.

“Five affected states with circulating polioviruses, and a task force was established by the NEC to be chaired by the governor of Gombe state, comprising the governors of Kano, Zamafara, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Katsina.

“Others are the coordinating minister of health and social welfare of Nigeria, director-general of the Primary HealthCare Agency, NEC secretariat, representatives of UNICEF, WHO, special assistant to the president on NEC, and representatives of the Aliko Dangote Foundation.

“The standing committee is to report on a monthly basis on polio eradication, immunisation and also efforts to revive the primary healthcare system.”

The minister also said key decisions were taken to include a food and nutrition security task force established at the federal government level and replicated in states.

He said the measure would ensure that the government addresses the challenge of acute malnutrition.

“And to ensure that the resources are being put in place in the 2025 budget as we come towards that circle, so that states also have line items for budget on nutrition just as the federal government will also do that,” he said.

“So, we plan to deliver the interventions in a multi-sectoral way that will ensure that our children will be healthy and have the cognitive capacity that will drive prosperity in our future.

“Thirdly, our development partners will operate at the federal and also at the state levels to coordinate and mobilise their resources to complement what the governments are placing on the table.

“We are distributing multiple micronutrient supplements that have been mobilised free 1.3 million doses have already been distributed; each of those will serve a pregnant woman for six months. That is for the mother and also for her child.

“That distribution is being done in collaboration with state governments as well.”