The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar lll, has called on traditional leaders in Zamfara to redouble their commitment toward polio eradication in the state.
Abubakar made the call in Gusau on Tuesday at a strategic meeting with traditional leaders in the hard-to-reach areas of the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was organised by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) in collaboration with the Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development.
The monarch, represented by the Coordinator of the Foundation and Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Isma’ila Mera, described the high rate of polio virus cases in the state as alarming.
According to him, from January to date, a total of 21 polio cases have been recorded in the state, representing almost half of the total cases in the country.
He noted that out of the 21 cases, seven were recorded in the Gusau local government area, six in Maradun, five in Gummi, and Maru and Bungudu recorded two cases and one case, respectively.
“As I am speaking to you, with these figures, Zamfara becomes the epicenter of the polio virus in all of Africa.
“Most of these cases were recorded in the inaccessible communities in the state due to insecurity.
“This is very unfortunate; as traditional rulers, we will not allow ugly things to continue,” he explained.
He called on traditional rulers in the state to always ensure that every child in their domain is vaccinated against polio.
“We invited you to this meeting to extensively discuss ways forward to addressing the challenges.
“Therefore, we are expecting positive changes from the meeting,” he added.
The Sultan commended the commitments of Gov. Dauda Lawal’s effort toward polio eradication.
“The governor expressed his readiness to work with us towards polio eradication,” he said.
In his remarks, the Executive Director of NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuiab, said the focus of the meeting was on delivering polio vaccines to eligible children in inaccessible settlements.
Shuiab, represented by the Incident Manager, National Polio Emergency Operations Center (EOC), Dr. Abdulkadir Gana, said the goal of the meeting was to stop the transmission of the circulating variant poliovirus type 2 by December 2023.
“We also want to strengthen the existing system of primary health centers by introducing innovative strategies with your guidance.
“Last week, we held meetings with traditional rulers in Sokoto and Kebbi states.
“We had robust discussions on the way forward. We are in Zamfara today, and we are hopeful of achieving the same objectives”, Shuiab explained.
“The NPHCDA has been committed to delivering healthcare services to all concerns in Nigeria, regardless of the challenges.
“With your support as traditional rulers who hold the wellbeing of your communities at heart, we can overcome these obstacles and ensure that no child is left behind.
“My appeal to you is to lend your wisdom, influence, and support to this noble cause; let us work together to break down the barriers, build bridges, and create a path towards a polio-free Zamfara,” the Executive Director explained.
NAN
