Polio campaign launched in Nagaland

Our Correspondent Kohima, March 10 (EMN):  Along with the rest of the country, the state of Nagaland has launched polio (National Immunisation Day) programme at the Naga Hospital Authority Kohima, on March 10. Managing Director Dr. Thorhusie Katiry said that the Intensive Pulse Polio programme will be conducted across the district on Sunday. The department of Health and Family Welfare is all geared up to administer polio drops to all eligible children from 0-5 years throughout the state, he added. As much as 2274 polio booths is to be manned by 9096 health personnel and 455 supervisors along with vaccines and other logistics, he informed. Special focus will be given to migrant population with an aim to prevent importation of polio cases, Katiry said. The managing director also gave an overview of polio cases in India. He said that India has remained free of wild polio cases since January 2011. It was the country’s unprecedented progress against polio that has led to the Southeast Regional Office of the World Health Organisation certifying it polio-free in March 2014. According to the recommendations of the India Expert Advisory Group on polio, NID programmes are to be conducted covering all the children in the age group of 0-5 years using bivalent oral poliovirus vaccine (bOPV). He appealed the people, agencies (governmental and non-governmental, including the security forces and police), organisations, churches, and community leaders and especially parents of children below five years to come forward and ensure that all eligible children receive the “two drops of life” and give the children a ‘polio-free world.’ The principal secretary of Health and Family Welfare, I Himato Zhimomi administered the first drop of polio to a child in Kohima. Various departments, associations, organisations, church council, and individuals were felicitated for their contributions towards the success of measles and rubella vaccination campaign (MRVC) during the programme. The MRVC achieved 98.7% target in Nagaland.