The World Health Organization (WHO) announced, yesterday, that polio is no longer endemic in Nigeria. This is the first time Nigeria has interrupted the transmission of wild poliovirus, bringing the country and the African region closer to being certified polio-free. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), the public-private partnership leading the effort to eradicate polio, called this a ‘historic achievement’ in global health.
According to this report, announced at a meeting of GPEI in New York, Nigeria has not reported a case of wild poliovirus since 24 July 2014, and all laboratory data confirmed 12 months had passed without any new cases despite the fact that, in 2012, Nigeria accounted for more than half of all polio cases worldwide.
Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General, WHO, said the outstanding commitment and efforts that got Nigeria off the endemic list must continue, to keep Africa polio-free and asked that all must now support the efforts in Pakistan and Afghanistan so they soon join the polio-free world.
Dr Ado Muhammad, Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Nigeria, said Nigerians were proud because, with local innovation and national persistence, polio had been beaten and affirmed that vigilance and efforts will continue in order to keep Nigeria polio-free.
