Nigeria may be certified polio-free in 2020 – Shuaib

*WHO, UNICEF others applaud FG

By Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja

Nigeria has commenced the process for its certification as a polio free country, the Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, has said.

This process according to the NPHCDA boss follows the country’s celebration of three years without a single case of wild polio virus.

“No case of the virus has been detected in Nigeria since August 2016. If the situation remains by March 2020, Nigeria may be certified polio-free,’’ he declared.

Shuaib, who spoke while addressing a world press conference on “three years without wild polio virus case in Nigeria” in Abuja on Wednesday, said though there was a major setback in 2016, following the discovery of a new case in Borno state, the country is resolute in winning the battle against the disease.

“Following this achievement of three years without the wild polio virus, Nigeria has commenced the process of documentation towards the final certification by the Africa Regional Certification Commission (ARCC).

“This achievement would certainly not have been possible without the novel strategies adopted in the consistent fight against polio and other vaccine preventable diseases. We commend the strong domestic and global financing and the commitment of government at all levels,’’ he added.

Applauding the federal government for the resilience and hard work in achieving this feat, the World Health Organisation Officer in- Charge to Nigeria, Clement Peters, urged governments at all levels and development partners to redouble efforts to prevent the resurgence of the wild polio virus in Nigeria.

“Since the last outbreak of wild polio in 2016 in the north east, Nigeria has strengthened supplementary immunization activities and routine immunization, implemented innovative strategies to vaccinate hard-to-reach children and improved acute flaccid paralysis and environmental surveillance. These efforts are all highly commendable.

“Despite the significant progress, ending all forms of polio across the region remains an unfinished success story. Low immunization rates pose a major risk to other forms of polio virus outbreaks and furthermore, inaccessibility to some children poses as a major threat to sustaining recent gains.

“High routine immunization coverage and quality surveillance remain most critical in the build up towards certification and post -certification.

“As long as the polio virus still exists in any part of the world (as it currently does in Afghanistan and Pakistan), all children are at risk. Therefore, we must maintain the momentum towards regional and global certification,” stated Clement.

On its part, UNICEF Country Representative, Dr. Pernille Ironside, described the three years of no polio outbreak in Nigeria is a “monumental achievement.”