The World Health Organization has called for stronger surveillance systems, ongoing vaccination campaigns, and improved routine immunization coverage as key measures to eradicate polio globally.
WHO Country Representative, Walter Kazadi made this statement during a briefing to commemorate the 2024 World Polio Day in Abuja.
For decades, governments, health workers, and partners under the Global Polio Eradication Initiative have worked tirelessly to eliminate polio. Their efforts have yielded remarkable progress, with millions now able to walk who might otherwise have been paralyzed by the disease.
At a press briefing held to mark World Polio Day, the WHO highlighted that five out of six World Health Organization regions, including Africa, are now free of wild poliovirus. However, challenges persist in the fight against the disease.
In Nigeria, significant progress has been recorded, with a 38% reduction in cases of circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cVPV2) between 2023 and 2024. Yet, children in some communities who remain unvaccinated or under-vaccinated are still at risk.
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The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) emphasized the need for greater community commitment to ensure all children receive the life-saving polio vaccine, reiterating that the vaccine is both safe and effective.
As the world moves closer to a polio-free future, the NPHCDA continues to stress the importance of immunization efforts in Nigeria, urging communities to play their part in protecting the next generation from this preventable disease.
(Editor : Ena Agbanoma)
