Nigeria’s quest to end polio suffers set back

Nigeria`s efforts towards being certified polio free this year is under threat as five new cases of polio virus outbreak have been confirmed in some states in the northern part of the country.
The states where the polio virus were discovered are: Jigawa, Katsina, Yobe, Gombe and Sokoto, the Kano State Ministry of Health which confirmed the development, says it has mounted an emergency response to the outbreak by launching a new wave of polio immunisation exercises in nine local government areas of the state.
The polio immunisation initiative mounted by the ministry is coming on the heels of a similar exercise being carried out by Journalists Against Polio (JAP) in Kano, which is geared at sensitising residents of the state about the virus at the grassroots in the affected nine local government areas, where the ongoing mop up vaccination is taking place.
The new round of immunisation exercise which commenced on 1st and 4th of September, is planned to be followed with another one slated to start on 22nd and 25th of September, in all the communities sharing borders with Jigawa and Katsina States, to prevent possible importation of the virus to Kano.
Kabiru Ibrahim Gesto, Kano State Commissioner for Health, who confirmed this at a press briefing held in Kano, said “the affected local government councils where the mop up immunisation is ongoing, include Ajingi, Albasu, Dambatta, Gaya, Gabasawa, Makoda, Minjibir, Kunchi and Takai which are all neighboring Jigawa State”.
Getso stated that seven circulating vaccine-derived polio viruses type 2 (cVDPV2) were isolated from environmental samples only in Jigawa State and in addition, the cVDPV2 were also reported from Geidam Local Government in Yobe State, most recently in Baure Local Government in Katsina as well as Sokoto and Gombe States.
“It is an outbreak that is confirmed in the state bordering Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe, it has also been seen in Gombe and Sokoto, so this exercise is in line with the guidelines of the Expert Review Committee (ERC) on Polio Eradication and Routine Immunisation, which stipulates conduct of mop up campaigns whenever there is outbreak of Circulating Vaccine-Derived Polio Virus”, the commissioner said.

Adeola Ajakaiye, Kano