The Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj-Gen. Bension Akinroluyo; has said that the Buratai Initiative Task Force (BITF), is a coordinate with national and state healthcare development agencies to eradicate polio. According to him, the task force was to collaborate with national and state primary healthcare development agencies ensure inaccessible settlements are reached. Akinroluyo disclosed this on Saturday, while addressing participants of BITF’s training and sensitization to eradicate polio from Northeast; at Command Quest House, Maiduguri. He said the task force is headed by Col. Augustine Omogbethai, the Commander, 7 Division Medical Services and Hospital. “Today’s training is to ensure prompt and effective administration of the polio vaccines to the unreached settlements in Borno state,” he said. He said that the capacity building programme will add impetus to successful eradicate polio from Nigeria. He said adequate strategy, be adopted overcome the security challenges in unreached areas and ensure awareness on the progress of vaccination exercise. According to him, the training has been packaged to facilitate application of mobile digital gadgets that could enhance feedback on task forces’ activities. The Executive Director, Borno State Primary Health Care Development Agency (BSPHCDA), Dr. Sule Mele disclosed that the commitments of Theatre Command; has ensured 32 months without any case of wild polio. He said the commitments of Theatre Command; has ensured 32 months without any case of polio virus. Mele, who was represented by Dr. Aliyu Shettima, said: “We’ve also been able to reach 63% of our inaccessible settlements with life-saving oral polio vaccines. “Our civilian vaccination teams; were able to visit the accessible settlements due to improved security situation in the state. Despite the successes; there is still more work to be done.” According to him, there are still an estimated 60,484 unreached children trapped in 2,622 settlements in the state. “We need to reach these children and communities before October this year,” he said, stating that he appreciated the Chief of Army Staff’s directives to reach the children by August, 2019. He said the country and Africa are looking up to the military to access these settlements to achieve polio-free certification.
