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    Wednesday, November 13, 2013

    Bill Gates: Unrest, Uprising Undermine Fight Against Polio

     Chairman, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Bill Gates, Tuesday lamented the deleterious effects of the state of insecurity in Nigeria on efforts to eradicate polio in the country.
    Gates, who along with the Chairman, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, visited Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), said the unrest in the North, hampered his foundation’s campaign against poliovirus.
    He also acknowledged that more than half of the children in the north, especially in the North-east, have not been vaccinated as a result of insurgency in the area.
    Gates, who commended the governor for being in the lead of transforming the state in the last seven years, added that his foundation in collaboration with Dangote Foundation, had raised $6 billion to fight polio virus in Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia and Syria.

    But he expressed optimism that the virus would be eradicated, noting that he had partnered the Dangote Foundation to kick polio out of Africa.
    He said: “Eradicating polio will be wonderful for the entire world. I am very optimistic we are going to eradicate polio. In Asia, we have it in two countries namely Pakistan and Afghanistan, which have not got zero level. In Africa, Nigeria, of course primarily in the North, has not got to zero level. We also have the same issue in Somalia and Syria.

    “In the last two years, it has been unrest in the North-east. We have been having many cases since last year. We really feel about this. In Yobe state, it appears we cannot even get half of the children. We have raised $6 billion to get it done in the next seven years. We should work hard to eradicate polio.”

    Fashola commended the efforts of Gates and Dangote to eradicate polio in Nigeria, adding that the tragedy of the existence of “the virus in this part of the world as one of the few parts is something we are not proud of.”

    He said it was not so much that those who “have to act do not know what to do. It is perhaps the approach we have pursued in trying to get what needs to be done."

    The governor explained that one of the initiatives he pushed for at the Nigeria  Governors’ Forum (NGF) about four years ago was that the governors should lead the fight against polio virus.

    Gates also yesterday joined top leaders in the private sector to launch an initiative to accelerate Nigeria’s progress in achieving health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) under the auspices of Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PHAN).

    Among the chief promoters of PHAN  are Dangote, former Managing Director, Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Jim Ovia, Co-chair of PHN, Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate, Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imokhuede and Mrs. Sola David Borha.

    The inaugural event, which was well attended, aimed to share the vision of PHN and provide a platform to call on private sector champions to join the movement towards a new approach to private sector engagement.
    In his remarks, Pate stated that "PHN will mobilise Nigeria’s private sector to harness its collective capabilities, influence and resources to significantly improve healthcare delivery through a strategic and coordinated approach."

    Also, PHAN Executive Director, Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq, said: "With the leadership of the founding board and the strength of our private sector members, we believe that we can play a key role in the coalition of partners that save one million lives by 2015 and eliminate inequities in care in the longer term."

    Gates, who was elated at the progress so far, endorsed the coalition as a high-level platform to mobilise business and corporate leaders towards improving health outcomes to achieve MDGs.
    Similarly, Aig-Imokhuede stressed the need for collective action against malaria and malnutrition.
    Dangote thanked Gates for the inspiration and support and stated that his goal was for the continent to feel the impact of PHN.
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