Polio outbreaks in 9 states in Nigeria – UNICEF
UNICEF has confirmed that no fewer than 18 cases of circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPVs) have been recorded in nine states across 18 local government areas of the country.
Senior Education Manager and Officer-in Charge, UNICEF Field Office, Kano, Michael Banda said this during a media dialogue on Polio and Routine Immunization in Kano on Tuesday.
“The outbreak was recorded in the last three months with Kano accounting for three cases discovered iin Warawa, Nasarawa and Bunkure local government areas of the state, amid zero immunization and misconception against the deadly infection,” he said.
cVDPV refers to a type of poliovirus that arises from the oral polio vaccine (OPV), used in prevention of polio. According to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), on rare occasions, the weakened virus in the OPV can mutate and begin to circulate within a community, causing infections and potentially paralysis, similar to wild poliovirus.
Banda explained that polio has been the leading cause of paralysis and death among children, adding the disease is on the brink of eradication with vaccination of three billion children globally in the last 37 years.
The UNICEF official however expressed concern that the fight against polio is not over in some countries including in Nigeria, because of low vaccination rates, thereby paving opportunities for polio outbreaks.
Banda said that collaboration with the Kano State Government through the Primary Health Care Management Board to broaden public knowledge on the potency of the vaccination was necessary.
On the media dialogue, Banda said the dialogue was aimed at soliciting media support in raising awareness and mobilizing parents on the polio vaccination campaign in Kano ahead of World Immunization Week beginning from 24th and 30th April 2025.
On her part, representive of Kano state Primary Healthcare Management Board, Hajia Saadatu Ibrahim identified challenges of hard to reach settlement, missing houses, zero dose vaccination, and poor healthcare workers as major setback.
She reassured that government has renewed strategy to overcome the challenges, including new method of recruiting immunization workers and involvement of external supervisors.
