We have reduce Polio scourge by 60% -NPHCDA

 The National Primary Health Care Development Agency on Sunday says it has reduced the scourge of Polio Virus by 60 per cent this year compared to 2012.

The Executive Director of the agency, Dr Ado Muhammad disclosed this in Abuja in a paper presented at the University of Ilorin Alumni Association, Abuja chapter annual re-union lecture.

Muhammad, in his paper titled, “Primary Health Care Delivery to

Nigerians: A concern for all’’ admitted that there were persistent

challenges in a few states and security compromised areas.

He said that with the administrative data available to the agency

within the year, more than 80 per cent of all eligible Nigerian children

have successfully been immunised.

“We have mobilised over 10, 000 members of staffs across the 1,

500 PHCs in various communities to ensure a reduction in maternal,

new born, and child morbidity and mortality.

“We have aligned ourselves with the global campaign to mobilise

one million community health workers.

“The NPHCDA in collaboration with the MDG office and SURE-P

have recruited, trained and deployed over 5, 000 village health

workers.

“Their duties primarily will be to serve as foot soldiers in the

community and bridge the gap between the families and PHC

facility,’’ he said.

Muhammad said that evidence had shown that over 70 per cent of

the disease burdens were conditions that could be tackled at the

PHC level.

He therefore suggested that to make Nigerians healthy, the PHC

system must be made to function effectively.

He listed the persisting challenges confronting the implementation

to include ineffective coordination and managerial structure,

inadequate funding, poor physical infrastructure and equipment and

shortage of human resources for health.

Others, according to him, are frequent stock-out of drugs and health

commodities and virtual absence of system of logistics for effective

distribution of commodities.

The NPHCDA boss thanked President Goodluck Jonathan for his

commitment and done his utmost best to ensure the availability of

much needed resources particularly for immunisation.

NAN