By Daniel Abia Snr Correspondent, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, is to meet with the computer expert, Bill Gates in September, 2011 to discuss possibilities of investment in the health sector in the state.
Leader of the Global Alliance on Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), Violaine Mitchell, gave the hint during a courtesy visit to the governor at Government House, Port Harcourt.
Mitchell, who briefed Governor Amaechi on the mission of the Global Alliance to the state, said the President of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Bill Gate was waiting to hold talks with the Rivers State governor on strategic issues in the health and development sector.
She lauded the Rivers State government for its interest in the education and health sectors as they remain paramount indices in assessing development in any society.
Mitchell explained that eradication of polio in Nigeria rests in the hands of governors and what happens in the country also determines the issues in the world, adding that the key to polio eradication is sustaining immunization programme.
Responding, Governor Rotimi Amaechi said the governors in Nigeria have agreed to take a date for all of them to lead their people out on polio immunization campaign that would take place simultaneously throughout the country.
According to the governor, “our target is that by the end of this year, we should have some positive result on the elimination of polio in Nigeria,” assuring that he still looks forward to meeting with Bill Gates in September, 2011.
“The state government wants to build a biolavicide manufacturing company valued at $22 million and we would be glad if the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation can invest in this project,” he said.
The governor said the state government is building a total of 160 health centres, out of which 100 of them are functional while the remaining 60 would be completed soon.
Amaechi also disclosed the state government employed 200 doctors and posted them to the various health centres to enable them attend to patients in all parts of the state as part of moves to reduce child maternal mortality rate.
He explained that except Degema Local Government Area, all the other councils have between five and seven health centres while Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor have more because of the dense population.
The governor said the state government is spraying biolavicides to eradicate the spread of mosquitoes and reduce malaria related sicknesses in the state.
http://www.independentngonline.com/DailyIndependent/Article.aspx?id=37349
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