In the last one year, Nigeria has witnessed a decrease of over thirty eight percent in the rate of circulating variant polio virus type 2 cases.
Experts at this year’s world polio day say this signifies the effort put in by government and partners to interrupt the outbreak of cVPV2 in the country and will begin a synchronized polio vaccination in states bordering Niger and Chad in the coming days.
Despite substantial efforts, forms of the polio virus still persist in some African regions
This has been mainly fueled by factors like misinformation, insecurity, limited access to healthcare, and high levels of population movement.
In 2024 alone, 134 polio type 2 detections have been reported jointly in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Mali, Niger and Nigeria.
The world health organisation says although, the continent is now closer more than ever to a polio free Africa, more work still needs to be done.
A strong political commitment is crucial to the fight against polio.
Nigeria says it will now begin a synchronized vaccination campaign in states bordering Niger and Chad in the next few days.
Experts at the event say vigilance remains critical and the enhancement of surveillance, especially in underserved areas, and accelerated response to any new detections is key.
