The Rotary International says it is currently redoubling its efforts to ensure that Nigeria gets its national polio-free certification meant to be announced and issued on August 21, this year.

Dr Eddy Ndibuagu, District Polio-Plus Chairman for Rotary District 9142, told newsmen on Sunday while reacting to the special polio immunisation in most council areas in the country.

It would be recalled that the last case of polio in Nigeria was recorded on Aug. 21, 2016.

The country will get the “International Polio-free Certification’’ on Aug. 21, having maintained polio-free status for three years.

Ndibuagu said that various Rotary clubs had adopted a one-local-council surveillance of the 744 local government areas in the country, adding that Rotarians are working with health workers in each council area to ensure that any child born is immediately immunised.

He noted that Rotarians had been getting deeply involved in routine polio immunisation to ensure that the vaccine was delivered severally to each child in the country notwithstanding the remoteness of the area.

“We are only three weeks to the deadline; we are redoubling our efforts, we are praying and working tirelessly.

“You know that ultimately all these things depends on what God says and that is why we must add prayers for God in His mercies to allow things go well,” he said.

On the ongoing nationwide special polio immunisation, the Polio-Plus Chairman said that Rotarians had made special advocacy visits to community and societal leaders on the need to support the immunisation campaign most especially in the northern part of the country.

“Rotary also distributed thousands of vaccination aprons to health workers in the ongoing nationwide special polio immunisation exercise.

“In Enugu State here, we got over 1,000 pieces of apron from our National Polio-plus Committee that were given to health workers engaged in the exercise in the state.

“Presently, we have active cooperation of various government both at national and state levels to ensure effective house-to-house coverage of the entire country,” he said.

Ndibuagu, who is also the Head of Department, Community Medicine of Enugu State University of College of Medicine (ESUCOM), however, expressed strong optimism in the country’s meeting the target of polio-free-certification by Aug. 21.

“When we get the long-awaited polio-free-certification; we still need to ensure we sustain it through routine polio immunisation,” he added.

It would be recalled that the country had missed many deadlines to end the dehumanizing viral disease in some years past.

Rotary International started its official campaign in fighting against polio in the country since 1985.

While in 1988, Rotary was able to get WHO, UNICEF, CDC Atlanta and government of many other states to join Rotary end-polio campaign all over the world.

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