The President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari has written to world leaders and partners to appreciate their support towards helping Nigeria in attaining a Wild Polio Virus (WPV) free status.
Mr. President has also promised that his administration would sustain the momentum and strengthen the Primary Health Care system. And this was disclosed in a statement signed on Friday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media & Publicity, Garba Shehu.
Mr. President also commended Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Chairman Presidential Task-force on Polio Eradication, and his team, for making Nigeria proud and saving the country from the scourge of poliomyelitis. And further asked the task-force to sustain the coordination especially in mobilizing state governors to provide the needed oversight and resources to strengthen the Primary Health Care System.
The President States. ”This is to express our profound appreciation for your leadership of the Presidential Task-force on Polio Eradication and Routine Immunization. And the declaration of Nigeria as a Wild Polio free country is the result of your effective coordination of the Nigerian Polio eradication program through the Presidential Task-force on Polio Eradication and Routine Immunization, Federal Ministry of Health and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency. Please extend my personal appreciation to all members of the Presidential Task-force on Polio Eradication for making Nigeria proud and saving her children from the scourge of Poliomyelitis. I urge the Task-force under your leadership to sustain this coordination especially in mobilizing State Governors to provide the needed oversight and resources to sustain the momentum and strengthen the primary health care system by improving routine immunization, maternal, newborn and child health services. I urge you to sustain the momentum as I look forward to us leveraging on the polio infrastructure and experience to drive other health interventions, in his the letter to Prof Osinbajo.
The President also wrote a separate letter to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, thanking the European country for decades of financial support to Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) program in Nigeria through KfW.
He states. ” Please be assured that my Government will remain committed and focused to ensuring the needed resources will be provided to sustain the momentum and strengthen the primary health care system of our great Country”, in his letter to Chancellor Merkel.
President Buhari also thanked traditional and religious leaders, who through their leadership built community trust for the polio program thereby increasing acceptance and ensuring all eligible children are reached with the polio vaccine. Specifically, he states Alhaji Muhammad Saad III, Sultan of Sokoto, the leadership of Jama’atul-Nasirl Islam (JNI) and the President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
The President also wrote separate letters of appreciation to Bill Gates, the European Union, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization, Dr. Robert R. Redfield, Director, U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Henrietta Fore, Executive Director, United Nations Children’s Fund, David Malpass, President, World Bank Group and John Barsa, Acting Administrator, United States Agency for International Development.
Others are, Global Affairs Canada, Professor Shinichi Kitaoka, President, Japan International Cooperation Agency, and the International President, Rotary International.
President Buhari also appreciated the support of Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Chairman Aliko Dangote Foundation, Sir (Dr) Emeka Offor and Governor Kayode Fayemi, in his capacity as the Chairman, Nigerian Governors Forum.
