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B N W: Biafra Nigeria World News |
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Nigeria receives $17.18m from Japan to fight polio virus IHUOMA CHIEDOZIE, Abuja
THE Japanese government has disbursed $17.18 mil-lion to Nigeria through the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) to fight the wild polio virus between 2000 and 2004. Also, Nigeria has also received another $4.5 million for the intensification of national and routine immunisation to stop polio transmission within the global deadline of December 2005. The Japanese ambassador to Nigeria, Akira Matsui, UNICEF�s Country Director, Dr Ezoo Murzhi Gianni and Nigeria�s Health Minister, Prof. Eyitayo Lambo on Monday exchanged notes for the donation which was given in the Japanese Yen. Matsui said the fund was used by UNICEF for the purchase of 500 million doses of the oral polio vaccines (OPVS), mobilisation of trained personnel for national immunisation across the country. He lamented that the rejection of the vaccines in some parts of the country has led to an increase from the previous 355 cases in 2003, to 430 cases in June 2004. According to Matsui, Nigeria is responsible for exporting polio virus to Chad, Niger, Sudan, Botswana and other neighbouring countries pointing out that this critical situation and its wild spread across the borders had attracted continuous assistance from the Japanese government. UNICEF�s senior programme officer who represented the country representative, Mr Stanley Ita said donations through UNICEF, represented tremendous support to the five-year strategic plan for improving immunisation. He charged Nigerians to ensure the judicious use of the assistance to mobilise for the national immunisation days in September. Health Minister, Prof. Lambo thanked Japan and UNICEF and requested for more assistance in the areas of cold vans, Ice Pack Freezers, Ice-toned Freezers, Generators and motorcycle. Earlier in her speech, the National Co-ordinator of NPI, Dr. D ere Awosika enumerated the various forms of Japanese assistance to NPI in eradicating polio. She pledged her commitment to meeting the national deadline of December 2004 and global date of December 2005.
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