by Alexander Chiejina
Over the years, the nation’s healthcare has been saddled with the challenge of eradicating the incidence of wild poliovirus (WPV). Sadly, this disease has placed Nigeria among countries like India, Afghanistan and Pakistan (PAIN) known to be endemic with the polio virus. This no doubt spurred authorities in the country’s health sector to seek lasting solutions towards addressing this anomaly and reversing the trend.
Hence, governors of the 36 states in February 2009, collectively signed the “Abuja commitments to Polio Eradication', by providing the necessary leadership to eradicate polio. Also, with the relentless efforts of community health workers, traditional and religious leaders who pledged to provide active leadership via allocating adequate human and financial resources to the polio immunization activities, including mop-up plans and feedback, marked improvements in several previously high-risk states were noted. Currently, the nation has recorded just 8 polio cases in 2010, compared to 382 this time last year and 798 in 2008 – an unprecedented drop.
As Nigeria and the international community continue to applaud the success recorded in Nigeria in fighting against the dreaded poliomyelitis scourge which experts describe as the single largest drop in polio cases ever recorded, there are fears that possible resurgence of the WPV might scuttle plans to totally eradicate polio in Nigeria. This fear is coming as the Experts Review Committee (ERC) on Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) has envisioned that within the next six months, polio should have been eradicated within the six geopolitical zones of the country.
Speaking to newsmen in Lagos recently, Oyewale Tomori, Experts Review Committee Chairman on PEI, said that so far, Nigeria has recorded 98 percent reduction in polio cases within 12 months which is a remarkable achievement within a short period of time. Tomori stated that attaining this percentage reduction is not enough in eradicating a disease like polio as efforts must be made to attain 100 percent success.
Tomori, who is a professor of virology and Vice Chancellor Redeemer’s University noted that Nigeria should double its efforts to eradicate the disease, as any attempt to relent in plans to achieve positive result could be disastrous for, not only the country, but the entire world.
In his words “In order to achieve the desired success within the proposed time-frame, the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) and development partners in the fight against polio should engage in aggressive mop up strategies in areas where new cases have been recorded. Also, government at all levels should continue with their support, as development partners were still willing to fund the project.”
Lending his view at the recent World Polio Day, Muhammad Pate, Executive Director, NPHCDA, revealed that Nigeria is one of the last frontiers in the global campaign to eradicate polio. Pate stated that as long as there’s polio anywhere, the threat of polio exists everywhere.
The Executive Director disclosed that since polio threatens children in Nigeria and other neighbouring countries, the Honourable Minister of Health Onyebuchi Chukwu was leading a special effort to ensure cross-border coordination of immunization and disease control with our neighbours, including Cameroun, Chad and Niger.
According to Pate; “Leadership at all levels will make the difference between success/failure. We have seen unprecedented leadership from our Executive Governors and Local Government Chairmen who have provided oversight and resources, particularly in the Northern states where the risks of polio are greater. We benefit from essential support for the polio fight from our traditional leaders who are helping to plan campaigns, mobilize communities and ensure families understand the threat of polio and the benefits of the oral polio vaccine.
Stopping polio means that our families will never again lose another child to this crippling and disfiguring disease. Over time, eradication will save billions of naira, and we can invest the funds in other health priorities. The infrastructure we have built and the lessons learnt from polio eradication are a spearhead to tackle other health challenges. If we can eradicate polio, we can save our children from other killer childhood diseases, protect our mothers in childbirth and deliver better health services to all Nigerians.
In Nigeria, we have the vaccine technology and the knowledge to contribute to the worldwide mission to eliminate polio. Now, we need continued leadership to ensure our children are immunized. Polio eradication is a priority worthy of our investment.”
With the ERC report, which covers October 2009 to October 2010, warned that despite the success recorded, some gaps still existed that threaten the achievement of 100 percent polio eradication in the country among which was that not all high risk areas have significantly improved, it is important the country adopt an aggressive and intensive mop-up strategy to respond effectively to the menace.
For Shilaj Chakravorty, Consultant Pathologist, BT Health and Diagnostic Centre, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), the National Immunization Days should be intensified together with mop-up operations to see that the initiatives of eradicating polio succeed. Also, all tiers of government should work in concert to see that polio is wiped out of Nigeria. He pointed out the fact that since this is a global initiative, no country should pull the rest of the world back. In other words, every country must ensure that the initiative succeeds.
Furthermore, Government should mount vigorous media campaigns in English, Pidgin and local languages to sensitize the public on the programme. In addition, all health-related Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) should regard themselves as relevant partners in the effort to achieve this laudable goal.
Till date, four countries – Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan – are still harbouring the disease, which attacks the nervous system and can cause irreversible paralysis and the global health body-WHO- should pay special attention to these four countries that still have reservoir of the virus.
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