The Kano State Government, working with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), has launched a program to vaccinate 279,538 children against polio in the state.
This effort focuses on 34 wards in 19 local government areas (LGAs) out of the state’s 44 LGAs. The goal is to combat the “circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVPV2),” according to a World Health Organisation (WHO) Nigeria post on X.
Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a highly infectious disease caused by the poliovirus, primarily affecting children under five.
The WHO highlighted that the initiative is supported by the Gates Foundation and aims to reduce cases of this polio variant by at least 80% by December.
To ensure effective implementation, WHO has deployed 484 field volunteers, 68 independent monitors, 45 local government facilitators, 19 airport health officers, and six management support teams to assist with the vaccination efforts and make sure no child is overlooked.
Although Nigeria was declared free of wild polio in 2020, the cVPV2 strain remains a concern. As of August 13, WHO reported 72 confirmed cases of cVDPV, with 42% in Nigeria.
Other countries in Africa, including Algeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, and several others, have detected cVDPV in the environment but not in cases. In 2023, there were 527 cVDPV cases in the Africa region.
Polio is a contagious disease that can cause severe paralysis and even death by attacking the nervous system. It spreads through coughing, sneezing, or contact with the feces of an infected person.
Early symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, neck stiffness, and limb pain.
