Ruby Rabiu
14 July 2008
About 416 cases of polio have been recorded across the country from January to June 2008, a sharp increase in six months compared to 154 cases in 2007.
This was revealed by the Director of Immunization National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Emmanuel Abanida, at a one day workshop organized by the agency in collaboration with UNICEF and other donor agencies for health correspondents in Kano.
The director said despite government's efforts to break the spread of the virus, there has been an outbreak of the virus in many northern states.
Presenting a report on the current status of polio in Nigeria, Abanida said: "by June 20, 2008, Nigeria had 416 cases of wild polio virus in 22 states, compared to 154 for the same period in 2007 in 19 states'.
He lamented that Nigeria accounts for 87% of the global wild polio virus which includes the type 1 and also 9% of the wild polio virus type 3, pointing out that Nigeria, with all its resources and manpower, accounts for about 91% of the cases in Africa.
Abanida who said polio can be eradicated, said commitment from all levels of government needs to be increased as well as cooperation from parents who have refused to allow their children to be immunised.
He added that if all hands are on deck to ensure that children between the ages of 1 and 5 are immunised against the virus early enough, the spread will be interrupted.
"If the routine immunisation is strictly followed and parents and all stakeholders cooperate and work together to ensure compliance, then Nigeria's name will be wiped from the list of countries battling with polio".
Speaking earlier, the Executive Director of the NPHCDA, Dr Koleoso Titilola Adelekan, said all tiers of government need to work to strengthen routine immunization which, according to her, is the only way the polio virus can be eradicated.
Adelekan revealed that so far, the government has built 600 model primary healthcare centres, equipped them, provided essential drugs, supplied basic medical equipment, trained health workers and oriented the community members to form ward development committees which are given special training for the management of the health centres and other development purposes.
She encouraged communities to contribute rooms or facilities to boost government efforts so as to have a post where the health workers would be able to perform their duties effectively.
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