While polio is a distant memory in most parts of the world, the disease resurfaced in Nigeria few weeks after its second-year milestone and months before it was to clinch the World Health Organisation (WHO) certification after three years without the virus. TUNDE OGUNTOLA writes.Polio is contracted by eating or drinking contaminated food or water, swimming in dirty water or by close contact with someone carrying the polio virus. Although most infections with the polio virus have few or no symptoms, there is no way to predict who will become seriously ill or paralysed if they catch polio.In 1988, when the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was formed, polio paralysed more than 350 000 people a year. Since that time, polio case numbers have decreased by more than 99 per cent.To keep the disease at bay children typically are expected to receive four doses of the vaccine before entering elementary school.There are basically two forms of vaccine available to ward off poliooral polio vaccine (OPV) and inactivated polio vaccine (IPV). Because OPV is an oral vaccine, it can be administered by anyone, even volunteers. One dose of OPV can cost as little as 14 US cents.Strategies to find and map every child can be applied to other public health initiatives. While a vaccination team is in a remote village, they can, for little additional cost, provide other health interventions while they are there. For example, vitamin A has been given alongside polio campaigns. Since vitamin A gives a general boost to immunity, it allows children to fend off a range of infections, this has averted more than 1.5 million deaths.While polio has been eliminated from most parts of the world, it remain an endemic that calls for a more concerted efforts by both the federal government and health workers to eliminate.Few weeks ago two fresh cases of polio was spotted in two separate local government areas of Borno state, Gwoza and Jere. This is coming after Nigeria celebrated two years without a case of polio and blamed on the inaccessibility of the council in the height of the insurgency.For now, the Federal Government has directed the deployment of a national emergency response team, comprising government and partners to Borno State for immediate and robust polio vaccination campaign targeting vulnerable children to prevent the spread of the virus.He attributed the discovery and confirmation of the outbreak to the countrys strengthened surveillance due to improved accessibility made possible by the recent military action in liberating more communities in the North-Eastern part of the country.The Minister said: The detection of children paralyzed by polio shows that surveillance has increased with more access but it is a reminder that the country needs to remain vigilant and immunize all eligible children with oral polio vaccine until polio is completely eradicated worldwide.Our overriding priority right now is to rapidly boost immunity in the affected areas to ensure that no more children are affected by this terrible disease, he added.The World Health Organization (WHO) has however commended Nigeria on its prompt management of the recent new poliovirus outbreak in Borno State.The world health bodys regional director, Matshiduso Moeti, made the commendation at the 66th session of the African Regional Committee Meeting holding in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.She praised the openness of Nigerias Federal Government in the handling of the process that led to the discovery of the two new cases and the immediate declaration of Public Health Emergence in the area.Ms. Moeti particularly commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his directive to the relevant government agency to immediately release money budgeted for vaccines.The Microsoft co-founder and Nigerian benefactor, Mr. Bill Gates also expressed optimism on the capability of Nigeria to defeat polio despite the challenges of accessing the children in the most vulnerable areas for immunization.Gates, who spoke to the Voice of America Africa 54 described as disappointing the two new reported cases of polio in the North Eastern Nigeria after so much success in polio eradication but expressed confidence that the situation will be brought under control.He therefore called for greater partnership with government in the North Eastern to tackle the situation.Our main challenge is that we have kids who the vaccinators have a tough time finding. Reaching the kids in an unsecure environment can be very complex and so, were going to need great partnerships with the governments in the region, particularly in Borno State, Gates added.
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