Polio-free in Nigeria
As of this January, Nigeria should be declared polio-free according to global standards, proving the growing strength of its polio surveillance and response system. As one of three countries worldwide where polio is still endemic, this is progress. If Nigeria, a country ravaged by war and severe poverty, can successfully eradicating a disease, then any country in the world should be able to do the same.
Polio is the leading cause of disability in many Nigerian children as it targets young children under the age of 5. It is a crippling and potentially fatal bacterial infection that is characterized by paralysis and spreads through contaminated food and water. The oral polio vaccine (OPV) is a safe, effective, and relatively inexpensive vaccine that is administered to entire communities in Nigeria. In 2011, the estimated cost of a single dose was 11 to 14 US cents, making it well accepted by public health programs. Despite polio’s severe effects on the body, it is easily preventable if vaccination occurs – 99 out of 100 vaccinated children will be protected from the poliovirus.
At the national and local government levels, authorities have taken great lengths to ensure a strong polio response. Some of the effective actions include enforcing government accountability at all levels, focused oversight and coordination at emergency operation centers, continuous micro-planning strategy revisions, and focused training and team selection. In Katsina, there was a record 92% polio immunization coverage among its population, in addition to the establishment of functioning health centers in 30 out of the 34 government areas of the state. In 2013, the government saw a 58% reduction in the number of polio cases from 2012. Improved outbreak responses as well as novel strategies to immunize children in war-torn zones also ensure that every member of the population has access to vaccination and treatment.
Fighting polio is also a community effort. Polio survivors, doctors, religious leaders, and volunteer community mobilizers (VCMs) all go out in the field to educate communities about polio and the importance of vaccination. The participation of religious leaders in the campaign against polio has proved to be especially valuable in dispelling regional myths about the polio vaccine. “[In] parts of northern Nigeria there is 20 percent of the households that the parents won’t give the vaccine unless we bring in the religious leader and he really reassures them that ‘no, this is safe,’” explained Bill Gates in an interview.
The use of satellite mapping technology and more stringent accountability policies help to enforce the mounting efficiency of polio vaccination. In the past, vaccination teams falsified data by claiming to have vaccinated far more children then they actually did. Remote villages would also be skipped on their routes, but now, if they miss a remote village, GPS tracking reveals the error and they are sent back to vaccinate the village. The new system requires that every volunteer must carry satellite devices so their route can be tracked, increasing accountability and vaccination coverage.
Nigeria is abound with honest, hardworking, and clever people who have all proven their worth in its polio surveillance system. The country still has a long way to go when it comes to treating and reducing the number of infectious and deadly diseases circulating throughout its population, but with dedication and honesty, it will hopefully change.
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