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Tag: polio

  • Bill Gates: Nigeria can defeat polio

    Microsoft co-founder  Bill Gates has expressed optimism on the capability of Nigeria to defeat polio despite the challenges of accessing children in the most vulnerable areas for immunisation.

    Gates, who spoke to the Voice of America “Africa 54” programme,   described as disappointing the two new reported cases of polio in the Northeast after much success in the  eradication of the disease. But he expressed confidence that the situation would be controlled.

    He called for greater partnership with governments in the northeast 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 we’re going to need great partnerships with the governments in the region, particularly in Borno State,” Gates said.

    On the accessibility to endemic areas of the country, despite security challenges, Health Minister Prof Isaac Adewole said troops were accompanying health workers to affected areas and children were being vaccinated. He added that the government had declared a polio emergency in the area.

    Adewole said military medical teams had also joined in reaching the areas as well as collaborating on the ongoing vaccination at the Internally Displaced camps (IDPs).

    The World Health Organisation (WHO), at the Regional Committee meeting in Addis Ababa, pledged to support the country in eradicating polio.

  • Persistent polio

    •Urgent steps must be taken to halt resurgence in Nigeria

    The news that two new cases of poliomyelitis have been detected in Borno State, two years after the last case in Nigeria was recorded, is a harsh reminder of the vital necessity of constant vigilance in the fight against disease in the country.

    The two cases involved children from Gwoza and Jere local government areas of the state. The World Health Organisation (WHO) suspects that the new cases are most closely linked to a wild poliovirus strain last detected in Borno in 2011.

    This is unsurprising, given that the period coincides with the beginning of the widespread breakdown of law and order in the state and much of north-eastern Nigeria as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency. The governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, has pointed out that the crisis made it impossible for health workers to reach vulnerable children in conflict zones and in areas taken over by the militants.

    Coming as it does just a year to the formal declaration of Nigeria as a polio-free nation, and given the prodigious efforts since 2012 of successive administrations at the federal and state levels, as well as traditional rulers, community and religious leaders, the re-emergence of polio is especially unwelcome. The devastation wrought by this crippling disease on individuals and communities is only too well known, and the notoriety it bestowed on Nigeria as one of the few nations in the world that were still not polio-free is still keenly felt.

    Fortunately, the main route to the swift resolution of this incipient health crisis is clear. The extensive immunisation programme that had been hindered by the Boko Haram insurgency must now be restarted without delay. Indeed, the initial discovery of the new cases is due to the increased surveillance which came in the wake of decisive military victories over the insurgents.

    The Federal Ministry of Health, through its National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), is working in concert with WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to immunise one million children in Borno State in the immediate interim. Children in Gwoza and Jere will each undergo three rounds of immunisation. An additional four million children in the neighbouring states of Yobe, Adamawa and Gombe will also be immunised.

    A national emergency response team is said to already be in Borno to carry out immediate polio vaccinations. This is a welcome acknowledgement of the speed with which the outbreak must be tackled if it is to be effective. The emergency immunisations will be conducted alongside wide-ranging assessments of population immunity and the extent of infection to enable health officials plan a comprehensive approach to the crisis.

    The resurgence of polio has important lessons for the country in the fight against other diseases. Nigeria has had to struggle against the re-emergence of Lassa fever, diarrhoea and cholera in the recent past, not to mention its never-ending battles against malaria and typhoid. Better surveillance and monitoring could result in fewer cases of these ailments; improved sanitary conditions and more comprehensive public enlightenment campaigns will ensure a significant reduction in the conditions that make it possible for them to thrive.

    Governors and community leaders in all the affected states must once again rouse their people to confront the polio menace. This is no time to grumble about having to do it all over again, or raise new cultural and religious objections. If everyone involved focuses on the ultimate objective of a polio-free Nigeria, they will realise that no effort is too much to finally rid themselves of the menace that the disease poses.

  • Shettima vows to fight polio outbreak

    Shettima vows to fight polio outbreak

    Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima has vowed to fight the outbreak of the Wild Polio Virus (WPV), which was discovered last week

    Shettima blamed the outbreak on the seizure of communities by Boko Haram insurgents.

    He spoke yesterday in Mainok, Kaga Local Government when he launched the distribution of foodstuff and farm aid donated by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to victims of the Boko Haram insurgency.

    The initiative targets 40,000 victims to benefit from foodstuff and funding of farming activities.

    According to him, from December 2013 till end of 2015, as well early 2016, it was impossible to access many communities to administer the polio vaccine because insurgents took over over 20 councils.

    His words: “Back in November 2013, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recognised Borno as the most committed in fighting polio in the Northeast despite insurgency. It is, however, unfortunate that a fresh case was identified last week.

    “While this is officially painful and embarrassing, the outbreak is largely due to the unimaginable condition we found ourselves.

    “From December 2013 to the end of 2015, we had hundreds of communities in 20 councils seized by Boko Haram; many roads were practically under their command.

    “Residents wandered for months in the deserts and forests, scampering for safety in the wake of attacks on their communities; thousands were trapped in communities around the Sambisa, the shores of the Lake Chad and around territories being administered by Boko Haram; many were held captive while hundreds of children were born in captivity.

    “Everyone can testify that it was impossible for the government to have sustained its wide reach in polio immunisation under such an atmosphere.

    “Now under the current administration, most communities have been freed and this made it possible to diagnose the children held captive and those hitherto trapped.

    “We know that a problem identified is a problem half-solved. Our communities are mostly free and this makes room for a critical round of aggressive polio eradication campaign.

    “Unlike before, we don’t envisage the killing of health workers administering polio and other preventive vaccine in most of our communities, which they couldn’t access since 2014.

    “The tide has now changed. In the past, our people were running but today, it is Boko Haram that is on the run,” Shettima explained.

    Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Dr Babagana Umara Zulum said two trucks of foodstuff, as well as two farms in Damboa and Konduga, funded through the Gates foundation, were ready for access.

  • Rotary unveils ‘kick out polio’ advert

    The Rotary Club of Gbagada has unveiled a new advert on kicking out polio from the country. The event held at the Majidun, Ikorodu, Lagos office of the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT), operated by Primero and the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).

    The advert, which is on one of the BRT buses, has the face of an artiste Funke Akindele as the campaign’s Ambassador. It will be on the bus, which plies the Ikorodu-CMS route, for a month.

    The club’s President Lanre Akintilo said the advert was aimed at creating awareness among the public on the need to kick out polio through constant immunisation. He said Nigeria has one year to go to be declared free of the disease, adding that we should not rest on our oars.

    He solicited understanding and cooperation for the eradication of the disease and advised parents to always bring their children for vaccination.

    Rotary International District 2110 Governor Pat Ikheloa said polio is one disease that Rotary has decided to wipe out. He said the three years given to Nigeria by world health body World Health Organisation (WHO) before it can be declared polio-free ends next year.

    He lamented the effect of the diseases on children, saying every boy is supposed to play football, but that he can’t if he is down with polio.

  • Rotary scores self high in polio eradication

    Rotary International District 9110 has scored itself high in its national anti-polio programmes, saying it has won the battle against the deadly disease by over 95 per cent.

    Its Nigeria National PolioPlus Committee (NNPPC) Chairman, Dr Tunji Funsho spoke in Lagos while listing the activities of the committee.

    Funsho, a medic, said since the anti-polio drive began in the late 1970s, Rotary had not derailed in its commitment to wiping out the disease. He said it was because  of their effort that Nigeria was deleted from the list of endemic countries last year, leaving two – Afghanistan and Pakistan worldwide.

    “So far,” he declared, ‘’we are on track.’’ For example, he said the last case of polio was reported in Lagos six years ago. ‘’When we started in 1987, there were 2,500 cases, but now we have eight. I think that was a huge drop,’’ he said.

    Funsho praised Rotary members for their contributions to polio eradication. He also praised the Federal Government for committing $90million to fighting the disease in this year’s budget, up by $30million of last year’s figures and providing security for Rotary’s medical team.

    Specifically, the NNPC chair praised President Muhammadu Buhari, who administered a vaccine to his grandchild, and attended a anti-polio campaign in his home town Daura, noting that these added a boost to the programme in the North to enable the people know that the vaccines are harmless, contrary to their views. Besides, he said Buhari deserved a pat on the back for expanding the Presidential taskforce on polio to include governors to ensure that they replicate what happens at the federal level in their states.

    Funsho warned that though the last case of polio was recorded on July 24, last year, Nigeria still has a year and three months to go to hit the golden year for the country to be declared free of polio, to meet the Polio Eradication and Endgame Strategic Plan (2013 -2018).

    He said there was, therefore, the need to up the ante in the anti-polio drive, asking for more support for the programme. He listed some of its challenges as inadequate finance, poor coverage in some states and councils,  weak immunisation infrastructure.

    Funsho announced the switch over from the trivalent oral polio vaccines (OPVs) to bivalent oral polio vaccine (bopV), and that a total of 156 countries, including Nigeria and India would be affected by the transition, which started last month.

  • Polio: Lagos targets 4.5 million children for free immunisation

    Polio: Lagos targets 4.5 million children for free immunisation

    The Lagos State Government Tuesday said at least 4.5 million children will benefit from the free polio immunisation.

    State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, represented by the Special Adviser on Primary Healthcare, Dr. Olufemi Onanuga disclosed this at the flag off ceremony of the February 2016 National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs) held at Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area.

    According to him, the National Immunization Plus  Days (NIPDs) campaign will involve House-to-House, Transit and Fixed Post teams while children at homes, markets, churches, mosques, major car parks and social event venues would be targeted.

    He noted that the state government will mount 752 fixed posts, 2,189 house-to-house and 1,712 transit teams with hours of operations spanning between 8am-2pm daily.

    The governor who reiterated the desire of the present administration to protect and enhance the health and well being of all children in the state emphasised that the immunization is free, effective and safe with little gifts as incentives for immunized children.

    Ambode enjoined parents and caregivers to take advantage of the campaign to boost the immunity of their children by immunizing their wards at government designated centers across the state.

    The Governor said his administration has been involved in the training of health workers at the State, Local and Ward levels to build their capacities as well as collaborating with International and Non-Governmental Organisations such as WHO, Rotary International, CHAI, JICA, Save-the-Children International and UNICEF to augment the creation of the needed awareness at the community level.

    He added that a coordinated media campaign strategy to sensitize members of the public on the importance and safety of polio immunization has been embarked upon, saying that “We have also contracted state technical facilitators and independent monitors to enable them provide technical assistance and supervisory support to those implementing throughout the campaign period.”

    Ambode revealed that Lagos State has taken giant stride in eradicating the deadly disease from the state since April 2009, making it a seven year success story.

    While underscoring the importance of various interventions by the state in the past which had made it possible to eradicate the deadly disease from the state since April 2009, Ambode recalled that the success recorded in 2015 in increasing the immunity of children was as a result of the improved quality of Supplemental Immunization Activities (SIAs) as well as other interventions such as the Strengthening of Routine Immunization Services.

    He revealed that the state intervened through aggressive drive towards the removal of out-of-stock syndrome and improved outreach services to reach under-served communities, strengthening of Local and International border immunization activities between Lagos, Ogun and Republic of Benin.

    Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Primary Healthcare Board, Dr. Ibironke Shodeinde, who represented the Special Adviser to the Governor on Primary Healthcare, appealed to parents to exploit the opportunity of the free, effective and safe campaign to immunize their children against the dreaded polio disease.

    She said that all eligible children will take two drops of the Vaccine with concurrent marking of the left little finger for confirmation of having taken the vaccine.

  • Ambode urges parents to immunise children against polio

    The Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode,  yesterday urged parents to ensure children under five years are immunised against polio.

    Ambode, who spoke at the Flag-off of the Round One of the National Immunisation Plus Day at Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area (LGA), said parents should use the window of opportunity available to them between today and Tuesday to get their children immunised.

    Ambode, represented by his Special Adviser on Public Health, Dr. Olufemi Onanuga said children from zero to 59 months, that is under-five, should receive two drops of oral polio vaccine (OPV) irrespective of the time they have taken the vaccine.

    He urged the community and religious leaders to ensure children under-five avail themselves of the opportunity.

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) Lagos State co-ordinator, Dr Sunday Abidoye said the vaccine is a must take for children within the stipulated age range.

    He said Nigeria has been declared polio-free by the WHO since 2014, adding that the immunisation programme was necessary to prevent the disease.

  • Ambode urges parents to immunise children against polio

    Ambode urges parents to immunise children against polio

    The Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode Friday urged parents to ensure children less than five years are immunised against polio.

    Ambode, who spoke at the Flag-off of the Round One of the National Immunisation plus Day at Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area (LGA), said parents, should use the window of opportunity available to them between Friday and Tuesday to get their children immunised.

    Ambode, represented by his Special Adviser on Public Health, Dr Olufemi Onanuga said children from zero to 59 months, that is under-five, should receive two drops of oral polio vaccine (OPV) irrespective of the time they have taken the vaccine.

    He urged the community and religious leaders to ensure children under-five avail themselves of the opportunity.

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) Lagos State co-ordinator, Dr Sunday Abidoye said the vaccine is a must take for children within the stipulated age range.

    He said Nigeria has been declared polio-free by the WHO since 2014, adding that the immunisation programme was necessary to prevent the disease.

  • Winning polio war

    Winning polio war

    OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA writes on efforts by Dangote Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Fondation and other organisations to rid the country of polio and obtain WHO certification by next year.

    A bold step was taken last Wednesday towards total eradition of polio in the north, nay the country as a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Dangote Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates, four northern states of kaduna, Sokoto Yobe and Borno, USAIDS and the Ministry of Health.

    The first point of call for Alhaji Aliko Dangote, chair of the Dangote Foundation and Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation after arriving at the Kaduna Airport was  the Rigasa Environmental Site. That underscores the seriousness of the trip by the duo. Rigasa Environmental Site is one of the surveillance sites in Kaduna, where samples of sewage water are taken for laboratory analysis in Ilorin, Kwara State or Maiduguri in Borno State.

    At the venue, the duo  witnessed  how the Environmental Surveillance officer, Haliru Usman, took samples and conveyed same by road to either of the laboratories by road. Alhaji Dangote told him that his, “allowances will be improved on, to ensure safe and quicker transit of the sample, and quicker results.”

    Dangote Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), led by Alhaji Dangote and Mr Gates in late 2012 in Kano, and mid 2014 in Bauchi, entered into MoUs with northern states to build a systematic state-wide approach to strengthening routine immunisation and by extension, a significant part of the primary healthcare system.

    According to  Dangote, “This polio eradication journey began out of a chance conversation I and Bill had several years ago in New York.” And that has really paid off as Nigeria is now on the radar of World Health Organisation (WHO)  for Polio free certification.

    Nigeria is moving out of polio endemic countries, and northern part is where the virus is still being recorded for sundry reasons, including insecurity, especially in Borno, and leading to cases of missed children. Since this drive to eradicate poliomyelitis, three countries—Nigeria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan—remain endemic reservoirs of Wild Polio Virus (WPV).

    Poliomyelitis is one of the leading causes of acute flaccid paralysis among individuals aged over five years years in developing countries. Supplementary immuni-sation activities (SIAs) are aimed at delivering potent oral polio vaccine (OPV) to children aged over five years, using various teams to vaccinate children at homes, on the street, at transit points, and at health facilities. However, in some cases this strategy is fraught with challenges.

    It took Alhaji Dangote immunising his grandchild in the glare of the Kaduna public as part of efforts on polio vaccination campaigns and improved vaccination coverage in non compliant communities in the northern part of the country. The visit of the duo to Kaduna is part of endgame strategy for polio eradication.

    Kaduna State has made tremendous progress in interrupting poliovirus transmission over the years. The risk of polio transmission is very high in Kaduna State, based on the Nigeria National Emergency Operational Center risk categorisation of 2014, and has 13 local government areas (LGAs) at very high risk. In November 2012, Kaduna State recorded 15 WPVs (second highest to Kano, which had the highest number of cases in the country), all within the 13 local government areas at very high risk. Although the last WPV case in the state was in November 2012, the state recorded recovery of another WPV type one during environmental surveillance in April 2014, in ZariaLcal Government Area, and reported recovery of one circulating vaccine derived poliovirus (cVDPV) during environmental surveillance in week 23 from Rigasa in Igabi Local Government Area  and intermittent recovery of cVDPV from two environmental surveillance sites in Zaria Local Government Area from week 24 to week 47 of 2014, is an indication of low population immunity.

    As Kaduna remains  a business hub of the northern region, and much progress has been made in the polio war, the duo feel confident to further engage four more northern states and also expand the immunisation to capture other childhood diseases.

    In a ceremony at the Kaduna State Government House, Alhaji Dangote, Gates, and U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, joined governors from Kaduna, Sokoto, Yobe, and Borno to launch an ambitious new partnership committing political and financial resources to strengthen and sustain routine immunisation programmes that will save more lives and keep Nigeria polio-free.

    The launch of the new understanding served as an opportunity to review successes and lessons learned from existing programmes in Kano and Bauchi states.  To extend these efforts, the governor of Kano State signed a fourth-year extension to the state’s existing MOU.

    Health Minister, Prof Isaac Adewole represented by the Minister for State, Prof Osagie Ehanire congratulated the states and partners on making a significant investment in immunsation.  “These are tough financial times in Nigeria, but the health of children cannot wait.  The country has an ambitious plan to introduce new life-saving vaccines over the next several years, and today’s commitments will ensure we can get those vaccines to the children who need them most.”

    He said, ‘’Through the MoUs, the governors commits to effective governance, leadership, and financial accountability to reduce child illness and death from diseases such as measles, pertussis, and hepatitis through increased routine immunisation in their respective states. The other partners will bring the financial and technical support needed to operationalise the programme’’.

    All signatories pledged to improve routine immunisation coverage in northern Nigeria systematically and sustainably, where vaccine coverage rates are low.

    “These agreements strengthen our partnerships with Nigerian states working to provide health services to all their citizens,” said Dangote.

    “Building on their recent success in eliminating polio from the region, Nigerian governors have and will continue to play a vital role in establishing a legacy of sustained commitment to routine immunisation,”he added.

    The objective of the MoU is to reach 80 percent of the target population in the signing states with the necessary life-saving vaccines by December 2018 to prevent common childhood diseases and ensure a polio-free environment.  To achieve this, key components of the programme include the operationalisation of the ‘Primary Health Care Under One Roof’ policy that will see a single management body oversee the program.  The implementation of regular audits and reports will ensure transparent funding and financial discipline is paramount during implementation. Contributions towards the costs of the programme by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dangote Foundation, and state governments will be staggered across three years: 30 percent in year one, 50 percent in year two, and 70 percent in year three with the states taking progressive responsibility for financing immunisation services.

    “These commitments will improve immunisation coverage and help provide reliable health services in Nigeria.  The states will be able to reap the full return on their investment through the number of lives improved and saved, and communities will remain protected from vaccine-preventable diseases for years to come,” said Gates.

  • ‘We won’t take chances on polio’

    ‘We won’t take chances on polio’

    Nigeria has been delisted from polio endemic countries but Northern state governments will not let down their guards, reports TONY AKOWE

    Kano and Bauchi states were the first to revive the campaign. Soon, four other states joined, following up with a Memorandum of Understanding with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Dangote Foundation. The pact, worth about $100m, is to provide technical assistance to eradicate polio in the region. Immunisation processes would be improved and primary health care strengthened in the states.

    At the ceremony which took place at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna, Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Foundation praised Bill Gate’s commitment to polio eradication.

    Dangote also hailed the fact that Bill Gate believes that immunisation is life-saving, cost-effective and a cornerstone of every primary health care system. He said, “Leadership and guidance of federal government and the commitment of the governors are critical for success. For me, bringing health care to the community is something I care about deeply so it is very important that communities trust that health services are there for them. Building on their recent success in eliminating polio from the region, Nigerian governors have and will continue to play a vital role in establishing a legacy of sustained commitment to routine immunisation.”

    Bill Gates said Nigeria’s governors have the opportunity to build health systems strong enough to stop future outbreaks. He said that commitment on the part of the governors and government “will improve immunisation coverage and help provide reliable health services in Nigeria. The states will be able to reap the full return on their investment through the number of lives improved and saved, and communities will remain protected from vaccine-preventable diseases for years to come”.

    While Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole was full of praises for the step taken by the governors and the partners for making what he described as a significant investment in immunisation, the American Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle said such collaboration offers the model platform to capitalise on the prospect of evidence based approaches.

    The Minister said, “These are tough financial times in Nigeria, but the health of children cannot wait. The country has an ambitious plan to introduce new life-saving vaccines over the next several years, and today’s commitments will ensure we can get those vaccines to the children who need them most”.

    Ambassador Entwistle said, “These MOUs offer the model platform to capitalise on the prospects of evidence-based approaches. Results will include stronger systems for immunisations, equal access to routine immunisation services, and building capacity for Nigerian states to lead in developing solutions for its people.”

    Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai said immunising a child, which should be simple and routine has not been done as it should be done across the country because the health system has not been invested with the capacity to consistently provide even routine services at a high standard which explain why the partnership was established.

    He said, “As state governors, it is evident from the contributions of my colleagues that our key strategy is to ensure that a reliable supply of vaccines is delivered in the right quantities at the right time, with sustained potency, to our health facilities. And if we can do that for vaccines, we can deploy same for every other health commodity our people need. Our health workers are well trained, managed, supervised and deployed in a rational way. It is essential that, as state governments, we earn the trust of the community by delivering predictable, reliable health services if we want our citizens to come to the health facilities. By getting immunization right, we can ensure that families access other critical treatments against malaria, diarrhoea and other common ailments. That’s particularly important when it comes to fighting infectious diseases, such as measles. Our goal in Kaduna State, for instance, is to achieve more than 80% coverage in every ward. So it won’t work if we provide immunization here in Kaduna, but fail to reach all children in faraway Sanga.”

    While expressing gratitude to Bill Gates and Alhaji Dangote for the partnership, he said “we have come a long way together in the fight against polio – and we know we have to keep the pressure on the polio virus for at least two more years. I am truly optimistic that we will remain polio-free. And because of our success on polio, the door is open for us to focus on other key health services, starting with immunisation. We have a lot of work to do, and I’m delighted that we are doing it together. We are grateful for all you have done to support our states and our country, but we need more. We therefore appeal to you, Mr Gates and Alhaji Dangote, to assist our state governments to revamp agriculture in the north, particularly livestock and rice production.”

    The partnership will commit political and financial resources to strengthen and sustain routine immunisation programmes in the states. The governors are expected to provide effective governance, leadership, and financial accountability to reduce child illness and death from diseases such as measles, pertussis, and hepatitis through increased routine immunisation in their respective states. On the other hand, Bill and Melinda Gates and Dangote Foundations are expected to provide the financial and technical support needed to drive the programme.