The Federal Government has declared a state of emergency on polio eradication while new cases will be treated as emergency.
Dr Muhammad Pate, Minister of State for Health, made this known in a statement signed by Mr Tashikalmah Hallah, his Special Adviser on Media and External Relations, in Abuja on Friday.
Pate, who made the remark at the maiden meeting of the Presidential Task Force on Polio Eradication, added: “The government is committed to end wild polio transmission in the country, we are going to utilise all networks to see that all our children are immunised.
“The Task Force committee will work with? governors, local government chairmen, partners, stakeholders, traditional rulers and religious leaders to ensure that polio transmission is stopped before 2015”.
Pate revealed that the committee had agreed to halt polio transmission by the end of the year 2012, against the proposed 2015.
“Mr. President will be very pleased if we succeed, but Nigerians will be more pleased with us.”
The minister said that the Task Force targets include states with no polio cases report for the last six months to maintain polio free status throughout 2012.
He also said that Local Governments with more than 1 polio case reported in the last 12 months to achieve 90 per cent coverage.
The state that did not have Task Force on polio would be created, Pate said.
He said that vaccinator must ensure that every child received polio vaccine, adding that each case of polio would be treated separately.
He stressed that if there was any polio case it should be investigated and reported immediately.
He noted that India had been certified as polio free country because of full coverage during vaccination as well as good surveillance system on polio.
He added that during vaccination, supervisors should be in the state seven days before Immunization day to ensure full coverage.?