Borno has no case of polio Jan-May 2014 --- WHO

World Health Organization( WHO ) has said that since January 2014 to date, May 2014 , Borno State has been cleared of any case of polio.

The WHO Representative in charge of Borno State Dr. M. Mahmud disclosed this on Saturday in Maiduguri at the flagging off of the year 2014 polio immunization exercise held at the Yerwa Clinic premises also said that since the beginning of the year there has not been any recorded case of polio virus in borno state going by the analysis of WHO.

He assured that the health agencies and other donor agencies in the state including UNICEF will continue to support borno state while revealing that presently, WHO will continue to support the health ministry and other health organizations in the provision of health care facilities and training of health workers for the immunization exercise.

Earlier the state commissioner Dr. Salma Anas Kolo said the state government has shown great interest and concern for maternal healthcare and is doing everything possible to eradicate any case of polio virus. She commended the efforts and support of the ministry for local government and chieftaincy affairs in fighting polio in the state.

She said the state government had introduced free maternal drugs for pregnant women on both anti natal and post natal treatment at all government hospitals and clinics as part of the First Lady Hajiya Nana Kashim Shettima support and contributions to health programmes in the state.

The commissioner advised the women however to continue to patronize the government health centers in their localities especially for anti natal and post natal services across all the 27 LGCs of the state.

In her remark, the First Lady Hajiya Nana Kashim Shettima who was represented by the state commissioner of women affairs and social development Hajiya Inna GALADIMA while flagging off the polio immunization exercise said due to the importance attached to maternal and infant healthcare services in the state, Governor Shettima has severally supported and assisted health programmes and projects across the state and invested hundreds of millions of naira to that effect.

She appealed to the women to make proper use of the health facilities provided to them by the government and pray for the government also to continue to serve them better.

According to her priority has been given to the health sector in the state since the inception of this administration which informed the international recognition and Award the governor bagged recently from the Bill Gates Foundation in USA on polio immunization.

While announcing a donation of a wrapper, mosquito net and N1000 cash to each of the hundreds of women and mothers that converged at the occasion she appealed to them to continue to cooperate and support the state government and utilize the health facilities provided them by the

Government.