The Abia State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ASPHDA), says a total of 1,172,822 children in the state have been vaccinated against polio since the beginning of this year, 2024.
Dr Kalu Ulu Kalu, ASPHDA Executive Secretary, stated this at the weekend on the occasion of the celebration of the World Polio Day 2024 in the state.
Kalu noted that strong political commitment was crucial to the fight against polio in the state.
Acknowledging the urgent need for renewed collaboration, Dr Kalu said, “The government, WHO, UNICEF, and other partners joined forces in March and April 2024 to implement two rounds of outbreak response in the state through a coordinated plan aimed at eradicating variant poliovirus.
“As a result, over 1,172,822 children in Abia State have been vaccinated since the beginning of the year. Similar campaigns have also been conducted across states in the Northern parts of the country where the burden of type 2 (cVDPV2) is high.”
He further disclosed, “Despite our successes as a state, vigilance is also critical. We need to enhance surveillance, especially in underserved areas, and accelerate our response to any new detection. Equally important, is the need to scale up high-quality vaccination campaigns.
“The latest Independent Monitoring Board of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative report also underscores the need for enhanced community engagement. In many regions, especially those affected by insecurity or social mistrust, it is the community health workers who make the difference between success and failure.
“We must continue to support these local heroes, ensuring they have the resources and training needed to reach every child with life-saving vaccines. This underscores the importance of directly training frontline health workers across the 17 local government areas of the state.”
Kalu described the fight against polio as “a great task over a virus that can cause paralysis and death in a matter of days.
“It is a journey marked by the determination of countless individuals across the continents, governments, healthcare workers, and communities that have brought us as a nation to achieve wild polio-free certification in July 2020.”
He further expressed his worries, “It is important to recognize and tackle a new and pressing challenge: the continued transmission of circulating variant polio type 2 (cVDPV2). Despite substantial efforts, the virus persists in some states in Nigeria fuelled by factors like insecurity, limited access to healthcare, and high levels of population movement.
“In 2024 alone, 77 polio type 2 detections (both in the environment and affected people as of October 5th) were made across 14 states in Nigeria. Thankfully Abia State has not recorded any case of type 2 (cVDPV2) since December 2023.
“Our goals are clear; we must remain vigilant through robust surveillance systems, respond rapidly with high-quality vaccination campaigns, improve routine immunization coverage, and ensure that the polio program’s infrastructure continues to benefit other public health priorities. Progress is real, but setbacks can occur when we lose vigilance.”
He called on all government agencies, partners, and communities to recommit to this cause.
In her speech, the state Surveillance Officer, Dr. Carol Iwuoha, described World Polio Day, 2024 as a day to raise awareness, stating that WHO is supporting the fight in the state, the country and even globally.
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