Polio In Nigeria

Polio in Nigeria

Source: Bill and Melinda GatesFoundation.

Map: Global Polio Eradication Initiative

Nigeria’s thirty-six Executive Governors and the Federal Capital Territory have signed up for the Nigeria Immunization Challenge. The Nigeria Immunization Challenge is an initiative launched October last year by the Bill and Melinda gates Foundation.

The challenge was launched in conjunction with the Nigeria Governor’s Forum and calls on Governors and Local Government Area Chairmen to be proactive in their campaign against polio eradication, release funds in a timely manner for immunization and to work closely with traditional leaders to ensure that all children are vaccinated. 

The performance of each state will be assessed on a monthly and quarterly basis. The state that meets all the necessary threshold criteria by the end of 2012 will be awarded a $500,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support their top health priorities. This could include priority initiatives in public health such as malaria and tuberculosis, HIV prevention and treatment or safe drinking water and hygiene promotion.

Fifty-one cases of wild poliovirus (WPV) were reported in eight Nigerian states for the year 2011 compared to 21 cases in 2010. The most recent case was a WPV1 with onset of paralysis on 27 November, 2011 in Niger state.  This is approximately a 59% increase showing that progress made in 2010 was not sustained in 2011.

 Figure: Showing cases of Wild Poliovirus in Nigeria for the year 2011.

“In 2012, Nigeria will need to redouble its efforts to finally get rid of this devastating disease,” said A.B. Okauru, the forum’s director general. Each state is also expected to achieve more than 90% coverage and this will be verified through an independent monitoring system managed by the World Health Organization.

“The sooner we end polio, the sooner we can ensure that our children, and the children of the world, stop suffering from this debilitating disease,” said Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Governor of Rivers State and Chair, Nigeria Governors’ Forum. “Meeting this Challenge will enable us to focus on other health priorities and also help Nigeria to join other countries that have eliminated this disease.”