Nigeria is one of the worst afflicted countries in the world when it comes to polio but over recent years, efforts have been intensified to eradicate the scourge. As part of this campaign, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been very active in Nigeria, donating money for vaccinations to state governments.
In appreciation of how well Katsina State has fared in this fight, Mr Gates gave the state government $1m, saying its efforts have led to the successful eradication of the disease within the state. Details of the donation were made during the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for routine immunisation between Katsina and Zamfara states on the one hand and the Dangote and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on the other.
Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State and his Zamfara State counterpart, Abdulazziz Yari signed on behalf of their respective states while Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Mr Gates signed on behalf of their respective foundations. Currently visiting Nigeria, Mr Gates and Alhaji Dangote are stepping up their campaign to eradicate the disease.
A Bill and Belinda Gates Foundation spokesman said: “Celebrating the two states, Messrs Dangote and Gates said that they were worthy winners of the money as they showed total commitment in the fight against polio in their respective states. The benefactors, who took turns to speak, urged the governors to sustain the tempo and keep their states free of polio and other diseases assuring that the foundations will be monitoring the implementation of the letter and spirit of the MoU by the two states."
He added that the prize money is to be used for the purchase of cold chain equipment for the storage of vaccines. Just 20 years ago, Nigeria was recording 1,000 polio cases a year, making it the polio capital of the world but over the last 18 months, no cases have been reported at all.
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