FG To Release N9.8bn To Stop Spread Of Polio Across Nigeria

The minister, who made the announcement on Wednesday during a press briefing in Abuja, said the money would be released on 22nd August, 2016.

Prof Adewole noted that the reappearance of the wild poliovirus is a setback for the country as Nigerian pilgrims embarking on hajj to Saudi Arabia are being asked to undertake a “compulsory immunisation against polio as one of the conditions for entering the holy land.”

“We have earmarked N9.8bn for polio and by Monday the entire N9.8bn will be released. For the sub-national campaigns, 31, 540, 054 children are targeted to be vaccinated each round with oral vaccines across states in the North-East, North-West and North-Central zones of the country. For the nationwide response, 56, 363, 618 children will be vaccinated between October and November 2016.

“The revised plan was informed by factors such as historical data on WPV affected areas, pattern of transmission over the last five years, population displacement due to insecurity in the North-East, likelihood of spread of the virus to other neighbouring countries and population immunity.

“Furthermore, the justification for the expansion of the initial schedule includes the fact that, given previous history of exportation to other countries and the suboptimal routine immunisation coverage in several countries in the African region, the response requires that adequate protection be provided to the vulnerable children at risk of infection.

“Reports from the detailed investigation carried out by our team revealed that both cases came from security compromised areas of Borno State, which have limited access to any form of health services including immunisation,” the minister added.

Recall that the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) reported that the resurgence of the poliovirus poses huge threats mostly among children in conflict-ridden northern states of Nigeria.