Back polio campaign

There is every reason to ensure the ongoing polio vaccination campaign that kicked off Wednesday and ends on January 22, 2017 is a success.

This campaign seeks to vaccinate at least 2.9 million children across 15 counties at high risk of infection. The assumption that polio had been dealt with successfully was shattered by its resurgence in Nigeria in 2013 and in Kenya where 14 new cases were discovered.

Again in 2016, another four polio cases were discovered in Nigeria and we too are still at risk. Polio is mainly responsible for disability, paralysis and sometimes death in children; hence the urgent need in having every child less than five years of age vaccinated during the ongoing drive.

Efforts must be made to reach the remotest places of the country mostly assailed by illiteracy and poverty since in such areas, vaccination against polio may not be taken seriously.

Lack of well-equipped medical facilities and adequate medical personnel also disadvantage such areas. A door-to-door campaign is the best bet for maximum results if this campaign is to succeed.

Where social norms and religious beliefs stand in the way, sensitisation comes in handy since polio does not discriminate on such grounds.