As a deadly disease stages a comeback in the North, the world’s richest men Bill Gates, Aliko Dangote, traditional rulers and state governors strengthen the campaign to stamp it out. OGOCHUKWU IKEJE and ADAMU SULEIMAN write
Polio has wrecked lives in Nigeria and other developing countries. It has killed many children, leaving survivors with mangled limbs, unable to fend for themselves in adulthood. As a result, many survivors have taken to begging, helped along by relatives or friends. The disease has robbed children of the opportunity to go to school.
That was why the federal government fought it to a standstill in 2014 when it was said that there were no new cases in the country. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief as Nigerians awaited a formal declaration and certification that the country was polio-free.
The excitement was premature. New cases of wild polio virus have been reported in the Northeast.
How did the new cases pop up? Health workers have pointed out that in 2014 when the virus was said to have been contained through vigorous vaccination, many unvaccinated children were held captive by the terrorist group Boko Haram, a sect which wreaked havoc in the Northeast, nearly wiping out whole communities after killing their residents and forcing thousands from their homes.
Following the weakening of the Islamist group and recovery of territories it held, many Boko Haram captives have been freed. Health workers say the reintegration of those captives in the society may have aided the reintroduction of the communicable virus into the communities.
Thankfully, governors of the northern states, where the disease is most prevalent, have teamed up with Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda, and Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote. They have revived the anti-polio fight to ensure children are spare its ravages. Emirs across the North and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar were with Mr. Gates and Dangote in Sokoto, seat of the caliphate to strengthen the crusade against the killer disease.
Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, Borno, Yobe and Sokoto state governments are fighting the disease at various levels too.
The heavyweights made a case for Routine Immunisation (RI) as they signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to kick out polio from not just the region but also the entire country.
Other critical stakeholders and development partners at the Sokoto event were USAID, UNICEF, and NPHCDA, among others.
The six state governors Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar (Bauchi), Malam Nasiru El-Rufai (Kaduna), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (Kano) and a representative of Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe State) have appended their signatures with a commitment to reverse the trend.
Gates called on the governors and traditional leaders to work harder to ensure that communities strengthened their commitment to immunisation.
Gates noted that there was need to strengthen the campaign on routine immunisation and polio eradication, adding that “present routine immunisation can make more good work with better training and staff management.”
He described the signing of the MoU as a remarkable stride to achieving desired results, stressing that more should be done to ensure effective coverage of children targeted for vaccinations.
“Governors of the six states should be committed to identifying critical areas of problems by strengthening the basis for the routine immunisation to achieve a dramatic reversal of the trend with adequate supplies of vaccines to achieve 80% coverage,” he stressed.
In his remarks, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Chairman, Dangote Foundation noted that there is a lot to be done to keep away polio from Nigeria especially in the North.
He stressed the need for prompt counterpart funding and adequate campaigns by state governments in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
“I am delighted on the signing of the letter of intent to build on the programme. We are all together in this through thick and thin. Routine Immunisation requires dedication, motivation and passion.
“States have to keep to track, and support local government areas with better health facilities to be able to manage vaccines and proper record keeping of data.”
The governors assured of their commitment to eradicating polio and other killer diseases through adequate funding of their various healthcare systems and facilities.
Earlier at a separate meeting at the Sultan’s palace between Bill Gates, Dangote and traditional leaders under the auspices of Northern Traditional Leaders Council (NTLC), the Sultan pledged the readiness of traditional leaders from across the 19 northern states and the FCT to ensure the success of the fight against polio and other healthcare related problems.
Abubakar said, “We have to redouble our efforts to ensure the success of the struggle and fight against polio and ensure the drive gets total acceptance by our people.”
The revered monarch noted that poverty and hunger were two inseparable components that influence the health status of an individual.
“Where poverty pervades, there is bound to be hunger which will in turn lead to unhealthiness”, he pointed out.
He said, “We need to work extra-hard to ensure a healthy, wealthy and safe society where everyone will be happy and feel belonged.”
The traditional ruler praised Gates for his intervention in the polio fight in Nigeria.
“We acknowledge your efforts and commitment in supporting Nigeria’s drive in trying to overcome the challenge,” he said.
Also present at the signing of the agreement in Government House, Sokoto was the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole.
In his welcome address, the host governor, Aminu Tambuwal described Gates as a true philanthropist who not only touches the lives of millions but has gone beyond his race and country for humanity.
The monarch said Dangote was an unequalled interventionist in areas of economic development, health and other humanitarian activities in Nigeria and Africa.
The governor acknowledged the untiring efforts and support of Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar with other traditional rulers in driving the programme to success.
Tambuwal also applauded the remarkable strides of the Federal Government in supporting the programme while assuring that Sokoto state would continue to be at the forefront in ensuring quality and standard healthcare service delivery in the state.
Governor el-Rufa’i noted that the North had been on the news for the wrong reasons on the issue of polio and other health related matters, stressing that the region was committed to changing the narrative.
He said, “We need to counter the fragmentation created. Kaduna State has strategised reaching out and engagement of 17,000 ward and community heads in the drive to achieve results. Our development calls for this integration that will strengthen and support our PHC system to meet the health needs of our people at the foundation level. On this note, we have committed 16.1% of our budgetary allocation to the health sector for a better health and longer life expectancy of our people.”
Also, Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima said his state was the most traumatised with high cases of polio.
“We have accessed over 4,300 children for polio vaccination with over 95% trained staff”, he said.
The governor applauded government and other relevant organs that practically stood by the state to make it prosperous and stable in the midst of attacks by insurgents.
He assured that the north remains steadfast and committed to change the narratives and game play for better results on polio and routine immunisation programmes.
“We in Borno have increased from 123 in 2015 to 346 PHCs in 2018 across 142 wards equipped with necessary facilities including cold rooms for storing vaccines and other releated medicament.”
While appreciating the trio of the Bill & Melinda Gates, Dangote Foundations and USAID for transforming RI programme to ensure the protection of Nigeria children especially in the north, Governor Muhammed Abdullahi Abubakar of Bauchi State said Bauchi had mapped out measures to substatially cover various cummunities, noting that the MoU had addressed poor quality health system in the state.
Abubakar said the state had revamped its system to ensure prompt and quality delivery of vaccines, though, noted that it required enough time latitude to improve on the overall health system approach to achieving results.
Kano state Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje told the meeting that the state had successfully completed its tripartite agreement while disclosing that it had established three health agencies to fast track prompt and quality healthcare delivery services through effective and efficient management system.
To this end, Ganduje explained that a contributory healthcare scheme for civil servants had been introduced with the collaborative efforts of the NHIS.
“We have also evolved a responsive monitoring mechanism for private health organs to ensure quality and standard healthcare services to our people,” he added.
However, on his own part, Yobe State Governor Ibrahim Gaidam represented by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Muhammed Bello attributed the state’s reasons for charting a new course of action at ensuing effective and efficient health system to devastation experienced as a result of attacks by the Boko Haram insurgents” their activities have grossly affected effective health system and facilities.
“Though, we have been able to gather our strength for committed healthcare delivery services by rehabilitating our facilities destroyed by insurgents,” he said.
He recalled that in the last two years, large numbers of children were reached with lifesaving polio vaccines, while assuring that the tempo would be sustained in the continued fight to eradicate all killer diseases for the benefit and development of people in the state.
