The World Health Organisation (WHO) officially certifies Nigeria as a Guinea Worm Free Country.
The certificate was presented to President Goodluck Jonathan at a Pre- Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting event held on Wednesday January 17th 2014 at the council chambers of the Presidential Villa by Health Minister, Onyebuchi Chukwu.
President Jonathan, in his response points out that it is a milestone attainment which also coincides with the period the Nigeria marks it’s centenary. He said these also further cement the government efforts at ensuring that the country is rid of all kinds of endemic.
The President also appreciated partners, stakeholders and the task force on Nigeria Guinea Worm Centre for their contributions to the success.
He said:
The certification by WHO is a global recognition of how far we have come and the success of the work that has been done to rid our nation of this scourge.
Eradication of guinea worm disease that has long plagued many parts of our country has placed interminable burden on our citizens and as a government we have been working very hard and today we have received the good news.
Just as we have fought the incidence of guinea worm and succeeded so are we committed in our fight against many endemic diseases such as HIV AIDs, Malaria, Tuberculosis and of course polio.
While polio is yet to be eliminated in our country, we have seen the impressive results in the control of wild polio virus type 3 transmission as well s reduction of about 50% cases of wild polio type 1 in 2013 compared to 2012. Similarly no new cases of wild polio virus has been reported in the last 3 months.
We are hopeful that transmission of wild polio will be interrupted this year, at least before the end of the year.
Minister of Health, Prof. C. O Onyebuchi Chukwu spoke shortly before handing the certificate to the President. “From 2008 till date, over 900 GWD rumour reports have been received and investigated nationwide, none was found to be GWD,” he said.
Nigeria established the Nigeria Guinea Worm Eradication Programme (NIGEP) in 1988 and on November 2008 recorded its last case of the Guinea Worm Disease (GWD).
