Polio immunisation underway

Describing immunisation as a right no child should be denied, Nigeria's First Lady Stella Obasanjo on Tuesday, launched the third stage of a national campaign which aims to make the country polio-free by 2005. Launching it in the federal capital Abuja, she urged mothers to ensure all children under five years receive the oral polio vaccine and Vitamin A, the Nigerian press reported on Wednesday. Since the national campaign started in June this year, over 28 million Nigerian children have been immunised - 9 million in 36 states and the federal capital territory in June, and 19 million during the sub-national immunisation days held in 16 states in October, the Minister of State for Health Amina Ndalolo, was quoted by This Day newspaper as saying during the launch. The paper quoted the European Commission (EC) head in the country, Veli J. Ollikainen, as saying the EU was committed to support the programme of immunisation against preventable diseases, and would provide about 2.04 billion naira (US $17.5 million), through the European Development Fund for the third and fourth rounds of the project. The third round of the campaign, implemented by the National Programme on Immunization (NPI), is scheduled to run from 24-30 November. Nigeria's campaign is part of a regional anti-polio campaign initiated by governments, UNICEF, WHO and other partners, to eradicate polio from West Africa.