The Rotary International has organised para soccer, sensitisation walk, community advocacy and church service, as part of activities to mark the world polio day in Plateau.
The world polio day is celebrated annually on Oct. 24, to raise awareness for polio vaccination and its eradication.
The Plateau Coordinator of Rotary Polio Plus, Mrs Tongnaan Bawa, in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Jos, said the activities were to celebrate the three years of zero record of polio in Nigeria.
Bawa said the activities were also to sensitise parents to the need to immunise children against polio and expressed the need for collaboration with traditional rulers and religious leaders to ensure that there was no new case of polio in order to certify Africa as polio-free.
“The para soccer was organised for polio survivors who are also part of our advocacy team to communities, where we encouraged parents to avail their children of immunisation.
“We went to Alheri community in Jos North Local Government Area to conduct sanitation in the area, where we used disinfectants to clear gutters. We also donated polio vaccines to the primary health centre in Jenta Adamu community, to mark the day.
“We were at Local Government Education Authority (LGEA) primary school in Zarmanganda and also attended a church service at Church of Christ in Nation (COCIN) in the same area, to sensitise people on the need for polio immunisation and implications of non-compliance,” she said.
NAN reports that Rotary club of Naraguta, District 9125, also organised a fundraising event to make donations to ensure the end of polio in Africa and other parts of the world, where $1000 was realised.
The wife of the Plateau North Senator, Mrs Rahila Gyang, at the event, commended the efforts of rotary club in the fight to end polio; while encouraging them not to relent in their efforts to sustain zero records of polio in Nigeria and beyond.
NAN reports that the four-day celebration of polio day in Plateau, was climaxed with sensitisation walk with students, polio survivors, Non Government Organisations and other stake holders.
NAN further reports that Rotary International has been prominent in the fight to end polio in the world by donating vaccines and birth kits to fast track its eradication. Nigeria is set to be certified as polio-free in 2020,after recording zero new cases of polio in three consecutive years.
