Lagos — As part of efforts towards global vaccination targeting eradication of poliomyelitis, the Rotary Club of Omole-Golden, Lagos, District 9110 has hosted the Polio Torch from India.
The hosting symbolizes that even though many children continue to suffer from the disease which causes cripling disability, there is still hope that the disease would be wiped out of the country.
President, Rotary Club of Omole-Golden, Chris Alabi said the initiative tagged "Polio Flame" is a project targeted at complete eradication of the disease from the world.
He explained that the PolioTorch from India has been touched by world leaders where funds have been raised as part of commitment to eradicate polio from countries including Nigeria.
According to him, "We want to ensure complete eradication of polio from the world and rotary has played important role in the battle against polio in Nigeria and the world. We will use this project to raise funds and we want other corporate organisations, non-governmental organisations and individuals to join us in the funding and partnering to eradicate polio."
At the event, the sum of $7,000 USD was raised towards the eradication of Polio by the club.
Mr. Kayode Aderinokun, Chairman, Polio Flame Committee of District 9110 disclosed that the polio flame has traveled to all the continents of the world and has been touched by President, kings, head of conglomerate and has raised Euro 400m.
"The polio flame is initiated in India as polio endemic countries of the world in which Nigeria is inclusive to rid polio out of the world.
This club pioneers the wheel school project. Today, $2bn has been put into the scheme.
Aderinokun, who said rotary club partners World Health Organisation
(WHO, Nigeria government in coordinating and tackling polio revealed that the disease will soon be eradicated from Nigeria in few months time.
He noted,"In the last eight months, no single case of polio was recorded in
Nigeria. Today, we are about 99.9 percent eradication in Nigeria.
"We are at the threshold of history today. In four months time,
Nigeria will be declared non-polio endemic nation and all of us are going to be part of history," he said.
