Polio: Why we shouldn’t grow complacent with delisting

One message that has kept resonating since the delisting of Nigeria as a polio endemic country by the World Health Organization (WHO), is the need for stakeholders to ensure that no room is given for complacency towards achieving a polio-free nation.  Therefore all hands must be on deck towards strengthening efforts in ensuring total eradication […]

One message that has kept resonating since the delisting of Nigeria as a polio endemic country by the World Health Organization (WHO), is the need for stakeholders to ensure that no room is given for complacency towards achieving a polio-free nation. 
Therefore all hands must be on deck towards strengthening efforts in ensuring total eradication of the disease.
Sultan Sa’ad Muhammad Abubakar III told a meeting of Northern traditional leaders and development partners that it is important to know that the real fight is now.
“We must redouble our efforts so that our partnership with governments and the supporting international agencies would not go down the drain,” he said.
During the meeting, traditional rulers were specially commended for their efforts in the fight against polio which led to the delisting.
UNICEF Health Specialist in Abuja-Nigeria, Mrs Ranganai Matema also re -echoed the need for sustained efforts in wiping out the disease during the last round of immunization this year.
She said that improvement in routine immunization remained a key factor towards achieving polio-free nation.
“Routine immunization must improve. All mothers must make sure the children are vaccinated during the routine immunization,” she pointed out.
The UNICEF specialist, who noted that 24 July, 2014 was when the last case was recorded in Nigeria, said Nigeria has to maintain the momentum.
She however commended the Nigerian government for its commitment towards eradication of the disease.
She said: “We have until 2017 for Nigeria to be certified free. All countries have been waiting for that moment- when there is no transmission in Nigeria. So Nigeria has to maintain the momentum. In Africa, all countries would be certified free in 2017 when there is no case at all in Nigeria. Nigeria is the only country remaining in Africa but in the world, we have to wait for Pakistan and Afghanistan.”
A notable challenge in the war against polio has remained that there are still a significant proportion of people who reject the vaccine.
During the October round of polio immunzation in Sokoto over 3,000 cases of rejection were said to have been recorded.
Experts say some of the strategies that have been adopted in addressing noncompliance include community dialogue, compound meetings as well as engagement of district heads, community and religious leaders as well as youth mobilizers.
Also, health camps established for free consultation and medication during immunization days, is noted as a strategy to attract target audience.
The drugs provided at the camps include anti-malaria, antibiotics and analgesics which were supplied by UNICEF and local government areas.
Matema explained the reason behind the introduction of heath camps: “This was to resolve issues of noncompliance, we found that when it was only OPV being offered, mothers do not come but when you offer the other services as well, like treatment of minor ailment and other vaccines for routine immunization, they came to access.”
Sokoto State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Shehu Kakale assured that efforts are on to reduce noncompliance in the state.
Director Medical Services in the state’s Ministry of Health who represented him, Alhaji Shehu Tureta, said so far there have been some significant reductions in noncompliance cases against polio vaccines in the state.
The commissioner pledged the commitment of the government towards ensuring that the state continues to remain polio free.
He acknowledged efforts of development partners such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organization (WHO) and other non-governmental organisations for their sustained efforts in the fight against polio.
“All hands must be on deck so that we can achieve the eradication of polio in the country .We need to ensure that in the next two years, we  receive the certification  of  a polio -free nation,” he stated.