All members of the State Executive Council, Permanent Secretaries and top Government functionaries have been directed to carry the eradication of polio campaign to their respective Local Government Areas and constituencies, to ensure adequate coverage of children in their areas.

This directive was given by the State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, while flagging off the August 2009, National Immunization exercise at Issele-uku in Aniocha North Local Government Area.

The Governor represented by his Deputy, Prof. Amos Utuama SAN, enlisted the support of traditional and community leaders, community based organizations, women groups and other civil society organizations to help mobilize families to ensure that all eligible children are vaccinated.

Dr. Uduaghan emphasized that the present administration is determined to stem the crippling effect of the disease on human capital development of the State and appealed to mothers and care givers to avail themselves of the opportunity by taking their children and wards below five years to the nearest health centre for vaccination during the campaign period and thereafter.

He said that as a measure of the importance the administration attaches to the health of women and children, the state introduced the free maternal health care services in 2007, adding that the programme has recorded so much success, adding that the plan to extend the programme to children of five years and below is being worked out.

Dr. Uduaghan said that the overall objective is to attain the millennium Development Goals four, five and six, by reducing child and maternal mortality rates, while simultaneously controlling endemic diseases.

Also speaking, the commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Otumara, represented by the permanent secretary, State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Tobi Majoroh said the state's immunization coverage so far stood at eighty two percent for oral polio vaccine, adding that the State is worried that in spite of the number of supplemental immunization activity, the State recorded new cases of wild polio virus infections.

Dr. Otumara said investigations carried out show that the affected children did not receive oral polio vaccine during routine immunization sessions,saying that this zero dose children for routine immunization was brought about by non-compliance on the part of the parents and care givers.

He noted that some religious sects also compound the situation by indoctrinating members of their congregation to resist the free immunization programme, designed to save children dying of vaccine preventable diseases, through routine and supplemental immunization.

Dr. Otumara urged parents and caregivers to embrace the August 2009 National immunization plus days, so as to eradicate polio in the state.