Kano State Governor Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso said yesterday that his administration has the political will and determination to eradicate polio and similar diseases in the state.
Speaking during a video conference on strengthening the tripartite partnership on routine immunisation in the state between the government, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Dangote Foundation at the Government House in Kano, Kwankwaso said the security challenge which remained a threat to vaccination in the state had been contained.
He said: "The issue of security is a big challenge in hitting our target, but a lot have been achieved in the last few months.
"We shall continue to work with security agencies and all our friends to ensure that Kano is properly secured so that all these good programmes and projects can continue"
He stressed that the government is working with stakeholders to mobilise people to accept the vaccines through various initiatives, such as Kwankwasiyya medical outreach services and improvement of cold chain where all the zonal cold stores were refurbished.
The governor said having realised the importance of education in the crusade against polio, his administration embarked on aggressive campaign to mobilise people to embrace it, adding that within two years, school enrolment redoubled in the state.
Kwankwaso said: "Education is the key to everything, even polio eradication itself. That is why we now have a policy under the Agency of Mass Education to ensure that from now till 2015, everybody in Kano shall be able to read and write and we have gone very far on that."
The Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Bill Gates, noted that renewed efforts to improve immunisation campaign quality are showing positive results.
He pledged his commitment to work with all partners to strengthen comprehensive routine immunisation, urging the state government not to relent in its anti-polio campaign.
President of Dangote Foundation, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the Foundation would introduce free distribution of noodles to children to motivate parents.
Meanwhile, the state government has saved about N3.2 billion on the cost of the Jakara river channelisation project, which was hitherto estimated to cost N8.7 billion.
National Mirror