Abuja, 21 February 2008 -- WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan, on Thursday in Abuja joined the First Lady of Nigeria, Mrs Turai Yar’Adua and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammed Saad Abubakar, in flagging off the second round of national Immunization Plus Days (IPDs) in Nigeria.

“For the first time in five years, Nigeria  no longer leads the world in the number of polio cases; Nigeria is in fact now leading  the global optimism,”  said Dr Chan who praised the commitment of the country’s leaders to polio eradication . This commitment, she said, had resulted in a 75% reduction in the number of polio cases in the country in 2007.

The Sultan of Sokoto, a prominent and influential religious leader in the north of the country, Dr Chan, Mrs Yar’Adua, the Nigerian Health Minister, Prof. Adenike Grange, and a representative of Rotary International, Mr. Michael Jones, took turns in administering oral polio vaccines to children at the flag off ceremony.

Among personalities present at the ceremony were WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Gomes Sambo, a WHO Assistant Director General and Representative of the Director General for Polio Eradication, Dr David Heyman and the WHO Representative in Nigeria, Dr Peter Eriki.

The WHO Director-General expressed optimism that wild polio virus transmission could be interrupted in Nigeria in 2008.  “We can do it. We are in the home stretch,” she said,   noting that although in recent years Nigeria suffered a series of setbacks which gave   the polio virus the upper hand, Nigeria had now “regained the upper hand”.

In her remarks, Mrs Yar’Adua paid tribute to traditional and religious leaders in the country for being instrumental to the progress made so far in Nigeria’s polio eradication efforts.

“I want to urge you to continue to collaborate with government at all levels to achieve the goal of stopping the spread of polio this year,” the Nigerian First Lady said.

She appealed to all Nigerians, especially parents of children under five years of age, to take their children to vaccination posts nearest to them to receive oral polio and other vaccines.

Dr Chan’s packed schedule included a courtesy call on the Sultan of Sokoto, during which she requested him to assist in reinforcing the immunisation message, and in reaching communities which in the past had been particularly wary of oral polio vaccines.  The Sultan, who has been active in championing cause of immunisation promised not to relent in his efforts.

For more information contact:

Dr Peter Eriki, WHO Representative in  Nigeria;  Mobile: 08039795150l:

Catrien de Wijkerslooth;  Mobile: 08039795148

Samuel Ajibola:  (In Abuja): Mobile 08034885996