The wife of the Abia State Governor Mrs. Priscilla Otti, has flagged off the year 2024 campaign to eradicate polio in the state.
Mrs Otti who led the vaccination campaign in Umuoba, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area on Tuesday said that the outbreak response campaign is a critical intervention that will help to restrain the spread of polio virus and save the lives of our people.
She urged residents of the state to fully cooperate with the government and health officials during the campaign.
She said, “we must all take responsibility for our health and safety by following the guidelines and protocols laid down by the experts.
“As the wife of the Governor of Abia state, I am fully committed to supporting this campaign and ensuring that it is successful. I call on all stakeholders, including civil society organizations, the private sector, and the media, to join hands with the government in this fight against the polio virus outbreak.”
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo, said the state government led by Governor Alex Otti, is committed to eradicating the polio virus in the state and urged all parents to ensure that their wards are vaccinated.
A representative of the World Health Organisation, Mr Jubril Akasia said the state government has shown commitment to eradicating polio virus in the state. His counterpart from United Nations Children’s Fund, Mr. Ephraim Chukwu said that vaccination is the only way to stop the virus from spreading.
They charged parents to avail themselves of the opportunity provided by the government to get their children vaccinated.