By VICTORIA OJEME
ABUJA—As part of measures to ensure adequate immunization coverage in Nigeria, the Federal Government is set to commit another N4.7 billion in a new polio eradication emergency plan. Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, made this commitment during the ministerial platform in Abuja.

He stated that the polio eradication emergency plan had been engaged by states and the Federal Capital Territory to control polio in the country

He said: “The Presidential Task Force was inaugurated by Mr. President under the Chairmanship of the Minister of State for Health. A new polio eradication emergency plan has been developed and this is totally different from what we used to have. It is an accountability framework.”

He also said  N47 million had been invested in the Long Lasting Insecticide Nets, LLINs, of which procurement had commenced, to control the spread of malaria in the country.

The Minister said the Federal Government was ready to investigate the polio vaccines outlets from  federal to ward levels in the country.

Prof. Chukwu said:  “Everybody who is part and parcel of polio campaign must begin to tell us what they are doing in terms of what has been given to them. From the federal to the ward level, there has to be accountability. That is the only way we can kick polio out of Nigeria.

“We just concluded the first international vaccine summit in Abuja. It was a huge success and everyone was impressed globally. The President has taken the lead and this year we are not going to have funding has our problem”.

“The Federal Government has doubled its own financial commitments and in this year appropriation, N4.7 billion will be spent on polio eradication alone aside from funds coming from donor agencies.

Stressing that the Boko Haram attacks is giving Nigeria new health challenges, he disclosed that the trauma centers designed to handle the cases at the National Hospital and Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital, Abuja will soon be completed and commissioned.

He also said that a trauma center will also be established at the University of Jos since the area has been witnessing a lot of violence.

Meanwhile, World Health Organisation, WHO, has accredited the situation of local pharmaceutical industries for drug production in order to tackle the growing rate of counterfeit drugs in the country.

Information communication technologies have been deployed to detect counterfeit drugs in order to ensure efficiency in the operation.