The Lagos State governor; Babtunde Raji Fashola today flag off the Mop Up Supplement Immunization programme for babies between the ages of 0-5years in Lagos state and this the governor did at the Apapa- Iganmu Local Council Development Area.
Seen as a door-to-door search for kids for the polio immunization programme because it plans to revolve round all the local government area in the state, the governor stressed that no new case of Polio infection has been recorded in the last three years as Lagos State has remained Polio free, stating that recent tests have however found traces of the virus in some stools sampled.
Governor Fashola said the cornerstone of the campaign is to ensure that the children are immunized and fortified so that in case of exposure to the disease, they will not be infected.
He urged all parents and guardians to promote healthy living culture in their homes by ensuring that each time they visit the toilet or conveniences, they properly wash their hands, adding that when this is regularly engaged in by the parents, the young ones would buy in and take a cue from it.
He also urged parents to ensure that their children are always availed of the opportunities of the regular vaccinations available, adding that parents should not wait until they are propped at public awareness campaigns on Polio immunization before bringing their children forward for immunization.
The Governor also warned against the act of defecating in open places by adults and children adding that they constitute causative factors responsible for the spread of the virus of Polio, urging the people to act as the policemen that would guide against.
The governor went further to warn officers of the Kick Against Indiscipline have been empowered to arrest and prosecute people especially adults who engage in the act of defecating in open places, saying such practice is totally unacceptable in Lagos.
He said everyone must stand to be counted in the quest to ensure that Nigeria remain Polio free, adding that at the last count only three countries are left in the ring of the notorious nations that are still afflicted with Polio cases with India almost out of the list.
Governor Fashola said the most challenging part of his job is to keep the citizenry well and alive always, adding that there is no reason why anyone cannot live well and reach age of 100, if diseases that could shorten life are taken care of.
He reiterated that the commitment of the State Governors under the Governors’ Forum has never been higher than it presently is now because they have always been re-appraising the situation and taking measures to curtail the spread of the Polio virus in Nigeria.
