Polio; WHO Delists Nigeria From Polio Endemic List

President Mohammadu Buhari has expressed happiness on the delisting of Nigeria as a polio endemic country by the World Health Organization, WHO, vowing to maintain the status.
The president also stated that his government was committed to completely eradicating the disease in 2017.
He spoke at a ceremony to mark the delisting of Nigeria from polio endemic list at the presidential villa in Abuja.

President Buhari further stated that the presidential task force on the disease would be reconstituted to meet the target in 2017.
He said: “It is with great pleasure that I receive you and your team today on this very happy event,marking more than a year in which no polio case was reported in our country.
“For 14 consecutive months,Nigeria has not recorded any new case of polio virus.This, as I had been briefed, is the first step towards certification of Nigeria as polio virus free country by WHO in the next two years.
“This achievement, I recall, also resonated at the 70th UN General Assembly when the Director-General of WHO, Dr. Margaret Chan, mentioned it. I therefore commend WHO for their consistent steawardship in Global Health Security.
The president also thanked the WHO, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other partners that have consistently showed concern on the eradication of polio virus in Nigeria.
“I would like to place on record my recommendation for the vaccinators, community mobilizers, partners, parents and caregivers who have supported the polio eradication initiative of Government through the years.
“I would like to commend the support of our traditional and religious leaders who have contributed immensely to the polio eradication efforts. By the same token we thank development partners, particularly WHO, UNICEF, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, US-CDC, Rotary International, and a host of others who contributed financially and materially to the over-all efforts”, he said.