Violence, two others fuel polio outbreaks in Northeast, says WHO
By Njadvara Musa, Maiduguri
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has attributed the contraction and spread of polio among children to violence and the refusal to climate emergencies in the Northeast.
According to the global health agency, concealment of the polio virus for immunisation remains a challenge in the conflict-affected states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe.
The Country Representative of WHO, Aisha Kadi, unveiled the polio eradication challenges yesterday (Thursday) in Maiduguri to mark this year’s World Polio Day.
She said: “The transmission of polio in conflict-affected areas in Gaza, Sudan, and Yemen is a stark reminder that where conflict debilitates the health and sanitation systems, polio will continue to outbreak among children.”
Aisha noted that polio will inevitably appear unless the affected states eradicate all forms of the virus.
According to her, the support from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has made unprecedented progress towards the promise of a polio-free world.
Additionally, she said that over 20 million people are walking who would otherwise have been paralysed by the dreadful disease.
Besides, a WHO representative added that billions of children have been protected with lifesaving immunisations.
Aisha continued, “Five of the six World Health Organisation Regions, including AFRO, are free from the wild poliovirus,” stating that the work of the polio program is being concentrated in some of the most complicated and fragile settings.
While citing Nigeria, she said, “We’ve witnessed an over 38% decrease in circulating variant polio virus type 2 cases between 2023 and 2024,” noting that this signifies the great efforts by the government and partners to interrupt the CVPV2 outbreak.
She warned that as long as polio exists anywhere, all countries will remain at risk, stating that the commemoration of World polio Day is an opportunity to garner support and commitment at all levels to eradicate it across the globe.
She, therefore, urged volunteers, community workers, traditional and religious leaders, as well as those killed on duty, to be recognised in the eradication of polio.
“The reason why polio viruses thrive is our inability to vaccinate the remaining un- or under-vaccinated children in communities,” she added.