Abuja – As Nigeria intensifies efforts to cease the transmission of kind 2 variant poliovirus, a excessive-diploma delegation from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative(GPEI), visited Abuja, Nigeria, 27-28 February 2025. For the length of the search advice from, government, aged leaders, and partners renewed their commitment to conquer remaining challenges to total polio in Nigeria.
The search advice from, conducted by the Polio Oversight Board (POB), which is the supreme decision-making physique of GPEI, centered on reviewing growth, addressing challenges akin to insecurity and vaccine misinformation, and mobilizing elevated domestic and global abet for polio eradication.
Led by Dr Chris Elias, Chair of the POB, the delegation engaged in conversations with Nigeria’s government and the supreme aged chief, the Sultan of Sokoto, to emphasise the need for renewed country leadership and possession the least bit ranges of government within the distress to end the ongoing transmission of kind 2 variant poliovirus.
Totally different members of the delegation included Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Acting WHO Regional Director for Africa, Mr Gilles Fagninou, UNICEF’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Mr Mike McGovern, Chair of Rotary World PolioPlus Committee, Mr Derrick Sim, Intervening time Chief Vaccine Programmes & Markets Officer, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; Mr. Massimo De Luca, Head of Cooperation on the Delegation of the European Union to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and ECOWAS and GPEI Donor Representative.
In Abuja, the delegation met with Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Smartly being and Social Welfare, who emphasised the country’s longstanding commitment to polio eradication and underscored that additional dedication at some stage within the country is vital to implement corrective measures and forestall transmission for correct. The POB delegation moreover met His Royale Highness Abubakar, Umar Suleiman, Mai Bade, representing the Sultan of Sokoto, who reaffirmed Nigeria’s steadfast commitment to polio eradication and routine immunization strengthening.
Furthermore, the delegation met with Dr Muyi Aina, Executive Director and CEO of the Nationwide Main Smartly being Care Pattern Company, and leadership from the Nationwide Emergency Operations Center. They assessed the most fresh epidemiology of the virus and talked about the solutions from the forty second Expert Overview Committee (ERC) on Polio Eradication and Routine Immunization in Nigeria.
The ERC, a technical physique composed of consultants who on an everyday foundation assess the growth of a country’s polio eradication programme, met in Abuja on 29-30 January 2025 and gave a series of solutions. To shut immunity gaps and cease polio transmission, the ERC urged greater political leadership, calling for active engagement of government officials and stronger accountability measures. The ERC the truth is helpful surveillance efforts and marketing campaign quality would possibly quiet be improved by proven techniques to make determined centered vaccine protection. To toughen operations, the ERC the truth is helpful digitalizing vaccine monitoring, strengthening cool chain logistics and guaranteeing timely fund disbursements. Furthermore, the ERC the truth is helpful routine immunization would possibly quiet be bolstered by integration with polio campaigns and by deploying effective social mobilization techniques to counter misinformation and vaccine hesitancy.
For the length of 2023-2024, kind 2 variant poliovirus transmission ranges had been static despite super efforts the least bit ranges to be triumphant in every below-5 youngster with polio vaccines within the states that are tormented by variant poliovirus. As of 15 February 2025, there had been 94 confirmed polio affected children at some stage in 15 States for the length of 2024. No kind 2 variant poliovirus cases had been detected in Nigeria to this point in 2025.
The POB delegation underscored that renewed commitment from stakeholders the least bit ranges of the country’s sturdy polio eradication programme is severe to stopping the form 2 variant poliovirus from spreading within Nigeria and at some stage in neighbouring countries. Delegates additional emphasised the must drag the strengthening of routine immunization programs, on condition that optimal routine immunization protection is key to breaking the ongoing transmission of kind 2 variant poliovirus.
Along with the government, the delegation agreed that mercurial growth would possibly even be that you just would perchance well per chance presumably think with most vital efforts coordinating at some stage in states and federal ministries. Nigerian leaders reaffirmed their commitment to bolstering polio outbreak response activities and routine immunization to guard all children against polio.
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Regarding the GPEI: The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is a public-private partnership, spearheaded by national governments, WHO, Rotary World, the US Companies and products for Illness Defend watch over and Prevention, UNICEF, the Gates Foundation, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Since its open in 1988, this partnership has helped prevent more than 20 million cases of paralysis, averted more than 1.5 million childhood deaths and reduced the incidence of untamed poliovirus by Ninety nine.9 per cent.
