High-stage delegation visits Nigeria, urges commitments from government

Abuja – As Nigeria intensifies efforts to close the transmission of form 2 variant poliovirus, a excessive-stage delegation from the World Polio Eradication Initiative(GPEI), visited Abuja, Nigeria, 27-28 February 2025. At some level of the seek the advice of with, government, inclined leaders, and companions renewed their commitment to conquer remaining challenges to total polio in Nigeria.

The seek the advice of with, done by the Polio Oversight Board (POB), which is the good decision-making body of GPEI, centered on reviewing development, addressing challenges reminiscent of insecurity and vaccine misinformation, and mobilizing elevated domestic and global toughen for polio eradication. 

Led by Dr Chris Elias, Chair of the POB, the delegation engaged in conversations with Nigeria’s government and the good inclined leader, the Sultan of Sokoto, to emphasise the need for renewed nation leadership and possession at all phases of government within the enlighten to pause the continuing transmission of form 2 variant poliovirus.

Other contributors of the delegation included Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Performing 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 at the Delegation of the European Union to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and ECOWAS and GPEI Donor Manual. 

In Abuja, the delegation met with Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Successfully being and Social Welfare, who emphasized the nation’s longstanding commitment to polio eradication and underscored that additional dedication across the nation is wanted to implement corrective measures and pause transmission for true. The POB delegation furthermore 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 National Important Successfully being Care Pattern Company, and leadership from the National Emergency Operations Center. They assessed the most fresh epidemiology of the virus and discussed the ideas from the 42nd Educated Review Committee (ERC) on Polio Eradication and Routine Immunization in Nigeria. 

The ERC, a technical body peaceable of experts who recurrently assess the event of a nation’s polio eradication programme, met in Abuja on 29-30 January 2025 and gave a series of ideas. To close immunity gaps and forestall polio transmission, the ERC entreated greater political leadership, calling for exciting engagement of government officials and stronger accountability measures. The ERC suggested surveillance efforts and marketing campaign quality must be improved by proven solutions to carry out determined centered vaccine protection. To beef up operations, the ERC suggested digitalizing vaccine tracking, strengthening cold chain logistics and ensuring timely fund disbursements. Furthermore, the ERC suggested routine immunization must be strengthened by integration with polio campaigns and by deploying efficient social mobilization solutions to counter misinformation and vaccine hesitancy.

At some level of 2023-2024, form 2 variant poliovirus transmission phases were static despite big efforts at all phases to attain every below-5 limited one with polio vaccines within the states which would possibly maybe well be tormented by variant poliovirus. As of 15 February 2025, there were 94 confirmed polio affected childhood across 15 States throughout 2024. No form 2 variant poliovirus cases were detected in Nigeria to this point in 2025.

The POB delegation underscored that renewed commitment from stakeholders at all phases of the nation’s unprecedented polio eradication programme is serious to stopping the form 2 variant poliovirus from spreading within Nigeria and across neighbouring international locations. Delegates additional emphasized the must tempo up the strengthening of routine immunization systems, provided that optimum routine immunization protection is wanted to breaking the continuing transmission of form 2 variant poliovirus. 

Alongside with the government, the delegation agreed that mercurial development would possibly maybe well be imaginable with important efforts coordinating across states and federal ministries. Nigerian leaders reaffirmed their commitment to bolstering polio outbreak response actions and routine immunization to provide protection to all childhood in opposition to polio. 

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Concerning the GPEI: The World Polio Eradication Initiative is a public-private partnership, spearheaded by national governments, WHO, Rotary World, the US Centers for Illness Management and Prevention, UNICEF, the Gates Foundation, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Since its start in 1988, this partnership has helped prevent better than 20 million cases of paralysis, prevented better than 1.5 million childhood deaths and reduced the incidence of untamed poliovirus by ninety nine.9 per cent.