Kaduna — World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that until more Nigerian children live above the poverty line, the country would continue to record more cases of polio.

Besides, the statistics of polio cases in Kaduna State have shown that the state recorded 16 new cases from the beginning of this year.

The state Coordinator of WHO, Dr. Lawal Abubakar, who said this at a feed-back meeting with stakeholders, that included Journalists Against Polio (JAP) at the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna branch, added that nonchalant attitude to health concern by some Nigerians accounted for the spread of polio.

According to Abubakar, polio which knows no border has been recorded in 12 local governments of Kaduna State and that 15 Local Governments in the state were persistently non-compliant on polio immunisation as at October 2009, putting such areas at a very high risk for polio infection.

The WHO coordinator therefore, urged journalists to ensure maximum coverage of key polio eradication messages based on social data.

The WHO's feedback to the media for November, 2009 read in parts "Available data as of 30-Oct-2009, indicates global case count of Wild Polio Virus (WPV) stands at 1282 compared with 1449 cases same period 2008.

"Nigeria accounts for 382 (28 per cent of global case count) compared to 744-1449 representing 51 per cent in 2008. "Nigeria is also responsible for 382-655 (58 per cent) of cases in Africa in 2009."

More than 50 per cent of re-infections of other African countries are linked to spread from Nigeria.

"Kaduna State is still a very high risk state with 16 confirmed WPVs in 12 local government areas. It is yet to achieve national target for all indicators (immunisation at the health facilities. Routine Immunisation) and detection, notification of Vaccine Preventable Diseases (Disease Surveillance).

"Polio right now is a disease of poverty, it thrives on children with low immune system and little in the way of health care and Polio knows no borders and rapid spread quickly results in epidemics. Unresolved Non Compliance especially in high risk settlements/wards/LGAs continues to affect the quality of campaigns resulting in low community immunisation to diseases.

"Efforts should be targeted at High Risk LGAs/Wards (to involve traditional leaders to increase community engagement). While journalists should continue to play the watch dog role on polio eradication," he said.

Earlier, in his speech, Chairman of JAP, Mr. Kunle Sani, had appealed to journalists not to relent in their efforts in reporting cases of polio, as, according to him, the onus of public enlightenment on danger of polio infection lied on journalists as the watchdogs of the society. He also appealed to local government chairmen to ensure that routine immunisation achieves 100 per cent coverage success, especially in rural areas.