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Nigeria seeks to attain permanent polio-free status: president

Xinhua, July 13, 2016 Adjust font size:

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday directed the ministries of health and information to deepen their collaboration with state governments to ensure that the country is finally certified polio free by 2017.

The president spoke when he received the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Rebecca Moeti in Abuja, the nation's capital.

He said international partnerships were also needed to sustain Nigeria's polio-free status.

"We have not recorded any case of polio in the last two years but we should not be complacent," he added, noting that the breakdown of law and order in the North East has posed challenges to regular immunization.

The Nigerian leader told his guest that the situation and the condition of children in Internally Displaced Persons camps around the country are very pathetic.

The president told the visiting WHO envoy that his administration would continue to accord priority to healthcare through regular funding of public health related programs.

Earlier, Moeti commended the government's health program and pledged continued support of the organization on health development in Nigeria. Endit