Nigeria: Increased numbers of children are immunized
Progress made in wild polio eradication, says director
Dr Luis Sambo, World Health Organization [WHO] regional director for Africa, recently reported that Nigeria, as of March 2007, is the only country in its region known to be endemic with the wild polio virus. But, that it has made good progress in its efforts to eradicate the virus since 2006.
Dr Sambo said that in order to build on this progress will require innovative and effective control strategies and it will be crucial to win community acceptance and participation as well as overcome the service delivery problems associated with suboptimal health systems.
The WHO regional director put forward some concrete steps needed to address the polio eradication initiative in the West African country. They include the interruption of endemic wild polio virus transmission in Northern Nigeria, timely and effective control of outbreaks, sustainable high oral polio vaccine coverage and surveillance for signs of the disease.
He also thinks that polio eradication efforts in the region have a shortfall of US$123 million, including Nigeria’s estimated funding gap of US$94 million.
For further information visit the WHO website at: www.who.afro.who.int.
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