Under Gov Chime, FG Paying More Attention to the Health Sector in Enugu State.


", The federal Government has concluded plans to introduce five vaccines
against polio in 15 states in 2012, as part of measures to step up the fight
against communicable diseases. The states include Kaduna, Jigawa, Bauchi, Kwara,
Anambra, ENUGU , Edo, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Ekiti and FCT among others, "


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FG to introduce five vaccines in 15 states next year
By Victoria Ojeme
Nigeria Newswire.net 2011

ABUJA — The federal Government has concluded plans to introduce five vaccines
against polio in 15 states in 2012, as part of measures to step up the fight
against communicable diseases.

This came as the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Ali Pate, blamed the 2011
April elections in the country for resurgence of polio in Nigeria.

The vaccine, Pemtavalent, contains five antigens, effective against tetanus,
diptheria, pertusis HIB and hepatitis B.

Also, findings have indicated negative indices in the national immunisation
programme caused by the 2011 general elections as well as frequent strikes in
the health sector.

The states include Kaduna, Jigawa, Bauchi, Kwara, Anambra, Enugu , Edo, Rivers,
Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Ekiti and FCT among others.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Health, Dr. Ali Pate, has blamed the resurgence
of polio in the country on the 2011 general elections.

Pate said in Abuja that periods of electioneering in Nigeria had been noted to
witness resurgence of polio in some parts of the country.

For states like Kebbi, Jigawa and Kano, he said the resurgence was also due to
refusal of parents to allow their children take part in the programme or that
vaccines could not reach them.

He said: "Looking at polio eradication around political transition periods, we
have always had one reason or the other to actually have resurgence. 2003 then
exactly 2004, 2007 elections, then we have major resurgence. 2011 was not a
surprise in the sense that we anticipated it before the election and we quickly
placed mechanisms to deliver it."

"Despite what we are seeing as increase in cases compared to what we had last
year, the grand factor could have been enormous compared to what it is now, that
is not to give us comfort for really to say that we can't control this and with
the first election advocacy we initiated immediately after the campaigns, the
governor's forum and high level advocacy projects."

He also disclosed that the Ministry was planning to send NYSC medical doctors to
local governments during their service years for health service and polio
campaign.