Nigeria now free from polio, says WHO

Nigeria, which in 2012, accounted for more than half of all polio cases worldwide, on Saturday recorded a major breakthrough in its fight against polio, as the the World Health Organization on removed the country from the polio-endemic list.

The last reported case of wild poliovirus in Nigeria was on July 24, 2014, and a full 12 months have passed without a fresh case of the paralysing disease being recorded.

Only two countries – Pakistan and Afghanistan are still on the polio-endemic list and WHO has assured it will support their efforts to join list of nations that had been declared free of the disease.

The organisation said in a statement on Saturday, that “This success is the result of a concerted effort by all levels of government, civil society, religious leaders and tens of thousands of dedicated health workers. More than 200,000 volunteers across the country repeatedly immunized more than 45 million children under the age of five years, to ensure that no child would suffer from this paralysing disease.

“Innovative approaches, such as increased community involvement and the establishment of Emergency Operations Centres at the national and state level, have also been pivotal to Nigeria’s success.

“The interruption of wild poliovirus transmission in Nigeria would have been impossible without the support and commitment of donors and development partners. Their continued support, along with continued domestic funding from Nigeria, will be essential to keep Nigeria and the entire region polio-free”.

The Director-General of WHO, Dr. Margaret Chan, in a statement urged the Nigerian government to continue with the efforts that got the country off the polio-endemic list.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has welcomed the announcement by the World Health Organisation that polio is no longer endemic in Nigeria.

Read also: WHO to declare Nigeria polio free

The President’s reaction to the development as contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina.

The president applauded the concerted efforts of government officials, health workers, volunteer groups, civil society, religious leaders, traditional rulers and international partners, which resulted in this historic achievement.

President Buhari, who joined other Nigerians and the global community in celebrating Nigeria’s removal from the list of polio-endemic countries, urged continued vigilance to ensure that “Nigeria maintains this new status.”

The President directed all government ministries, departments and agencies involved in the polio eradication effort, to remain proactively engaged and on guard against the re-emergence of the polio virus in Nigeria.

He assured the WHO and the global community that the Federal Government would ensure that immunisation and surveillance activities continued across Nigeria, to keep the country polio-free.

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