By PETER DURU
MAKURDI — The World Health Organisation, WHO, has warned that Nigeria risks having new cases of wild polio virus following the discovery of 13 new polio infections in six states of the federation.

Benue State Representative of WHO, Dr. Ter Ahemen, raised the alarm at Naka,  during the flag-off of the Sub-National Immunisation Exercise and Maternal Newborn, and Child Health Week, sponsored by UNICEF.

Ahemen, however, commended the state government for not recording new cases of the virus in the last two and a half years and further  urged it to sustain the drive to ensure that every child within the age limit was  immunised from childhood killer-diseases.

He noted that the fight against polio  must be encouraged by all stakeholders to ensure its complete eradication in the country.
Flagging-off the Health Week, wife of the governor, Mrs. Yemisi Suswam, appealed to mothers to cooperate with health workers to enable children in the state benefit from the exercise.

Mrs. Suswam  noted that her pet project, the Sev Av Foundation, had led the fight against childhood killer-diseases in the state, assuring that foundation would continue to partner with relevant agencies and international organisations to ensure sound health for children and mothers.

She further assured that the state government would also continue to provide development partners with the needed synergy and drive in the fight against infant killer-diseases.