JUST IN: African Region Declared Free Of Wild Polio

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently declared Africa as a continent free from wild polio virus as no cases have been recorded since 2016.

The confirmation was made in a press statement that was jointly signed by the WHO Director General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and President of Rotary International, Holger Knaack.

The Statement titled, ‘Creating a great polio legacy in the African region’, further explained that the objective is to proliferate polio vaccines across the continent that will help wipe out the virus.

According to the statement, “achieving something like these requires cognate skills, resources and experience that will be added to the whole process, so as to make sure that legacy is left behind, one that will help the poor countries effectively tackle the disease.

It read also that “leadership gotten from different government sectors, as well as public and private partnership used to raise billions of health workers that reach children from different zones in Africa were all pivotal in the fight against the virus.

It stated that the method that was adopted in eradication of polio, which included surveillance and tracing can be useful and adopted by countries in the fight against the ravaging COVID-19 virus.

“The feat achieved by the African region, especially Nigeria is quite remarkable, as hardwork, dedication and perseverance assisted greatly in ensuring that no child was missed. Now polio has been defeated in Africa”, the statement read.

Health workers in the region went from house to house, one village to the other, given vaccines to children, and advised their parents at same time.

The statement further commended the government, health workers, civil groups for their relentless efforts that helped defeat the wild virus.