Nigeria off ‘polio-endemic countries’

“Progress to end polio is real and dramatic, with now just two countries in the world where the wild poliovirus has never been interrupted: Afghanistan and Pakistan”, Peter Crowley, the head of the Polio Unit at UNICEF, said.

“…As World Polio Day is observed Saturday, those who are trying to rid Earth of the virus say it’s time to step up vaccination campaigns”.

The president stressed that efforts to eradicate polio from Nigeria started in 1998, which has taken a lot of toll on the country in terms of human and material resources.

“It is my pleasure to congratulate the people and the government of Nigeria on the interruption of wild poliovirus transmission and to inform that Nigeria has been officially removed from the list of polio-endemic countries”, she said on behalf of Margaret Chan, WHO’s director-general.

He promised that his administration will not relent from saving the children from polio scourge.

The federal government will sustain the current momentum and we shall continue to regard this campaign as an emergency until we are declared polio free in the next two years.

Dr Moeti, who had been earlier received by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Linus Awute, along with the W.H.O delegation, also warned against complacency already displayed in a few states in their efforts toward eradicating polio and other communicable diseases.

Buhari also committed that the government will sustain the needed funding for operations and vaccine procurement for the programme.

“I would like to place on record my recommendation for the vaccinators, community mobilizers, partners, parents and caregivers who have supported the polio eradication initiative of Government through the years”. I’d like to commend the support of our traditional and religious leaders who have contributed immensely to the polio eradication efforts. Through 2018, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will match two-to-one every dollar Rotary commits to polio eradication (up to $35 million a year).

On the heels of historic success against polio in Nigeria and across the continent of Africa, Rotary gives an additional US$6.9 million boost to Nigeria to support immunization activities and surveillance spearheaded by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

The World Health Organization also stated “as recently as 2012, Nigeria accounted for more than half of all polio cases worldwide”.