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Health

Adamawa recording few cases of rejection of polio vaccines – Official

 

Rejection

By Yakubu Uba

Yola, Oct. 24, 2019 (NAN) The Chairperson of Adamawa Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Batulu Mohammed, said cases of rejection of polio vaccines by individuals in the state, had  reduced drastically.

Mohammed made this known on Thursday in Yola while addressing a rally organised by Journalists Against Polio (JAP),  in collaboration with other stakeholders, to mark the 2019  World Polio Day.

Mohammed said that current  polio immunisation exercises in the state had recorded improvements, with the last one recording 90 per cent success.

“Acceptance is now increasing with less resistance and we need to sustain the tempo with intensified awareness campaign through JAP and support from our partners like UNICEF, WHO, CDC, SOML, C4D and others,” she said.

Mohammed urged parents to keep availing their children of polio immunisations, adding that the exercise was now being conducted along with Meningitis ‘A’ vaccination.

She also lauded the renewed support from the state government, which  constituted a State Committee on Immunisation, with the state’s Deputy Governor, Chief Crowther Seth, as Chairman.

Mohammed said Nigerians should celebrate for not recording any polio case for the past three years, a development resulting from collaborative efforts of all stakeholders.

In his remarks, the Adamawa Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Ishaku Dedan, said the media would continue to support efforts to eradicate polio and other diseases in the society, as part of its social responsibility.

Dedan lauded the commitment of the state government and other major stakeholders in areas of health in the state,and assured them of media support.

Representatives of WHO, Mr Iyabosa Iginovia, and Adamawa Director of NOA, Mr Sudi Ahmad, who spoke at the occasion, also
called for sustained commitment by all stakeholders in the move to eradicate polio and contain other killer diseases. (NAN)
YMU/VIV/ASH

==

Editing by Vivian Ihechu

Health

Polio: Jigawa vaccinates 45,048 children in Birniwa LGA

Polio: Jigawa vaccinates 45,048 children in Birniwa LGA
By Nabilu Balarabe
Polio
Birniwa (Jigawa), Aug. 26, 2019 (NAN) The Jigawa Government says it vaccinated 45,048 children against polio in Birniwa Local Government Area under the July round of Immunisation Plus Days (IPDs).
Alhaji Umar Bello, the Immunisation Officer in the area, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Birniwa, that the figure represented over 100 percent coverage of the target population.
Bello, representing Primary Health Care Development Agency (JPHCDA), said 46,380 doses of Oral Polio Vaccines were received from the state for the exercise which ended in early August.
He commended Birniwa Local Government Council for donating 45 cartons of chocolates used to lure the benefitting children.
The official thanked the district heads of Birniwa, Alhaji Aliyu Abubakar; Diginsa, Alhaji Haruna Umar, and Kazura, Alhaji Isyaku Habibu, for ensuring that none of their subjects rejected the vaccines. (NAN)
NB/OIF/MST
Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Polio: Nigeria marks 3 years free of wild polio, significant milestone for Africa

Child being given polio vaccine . (Photo credit bbc.com and WHO)

Polio
By Vivian Ihechu
Lagos, Aug. 21, 2019 (NAN) Nigeria on Wednesday marked three years free of endemic wild polio, the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, has said.

Moeti made this known on Wednesday during telenews conference, saying it shows that Africa had passed a milestone threshold of three years with no case of wild polio virus detected.

“It also signifies that the nation’s progress in fighting the crippling viral disease can result in the whole of WHO Africa region to be certified and declared polio-free early 2020,” WHO director said.

Moeti said that this three-year landmark sets in motion a comprehensive evaluation process by the Africa Regional Certification Commission to determine if the entire WHO African Region of 47 countries could be declared to have eradicated Wild Polio Virus.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Africa’s last case of wild polio was recorded in Borno on Aug. 21, 2016.

Children suffering from Poliomyelitis

Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that invades the nervous system.

It can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours; the virus is transmitted from person-to-person through ingestion of infected fecal matter

Following infection, the virus is shed intermittently in excrement for several weeks with little or no symptoms in majority of cases.

The initial symptoms of poliomyelitis include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, neck stiffness and pain in the limbs.

The latest Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) figures show that there have been a total of 65 cases of wild polio worldwide- 53 in Pakistan and 12 in Afghanistan- so far recorded in 2019.

Moeti, “We are confident that soon we will be trumpeting the certification that countries have, once and for all, kicked polio out of Africa.”

The director commended the continent’s resilience and strong commitment to stopping the virus in overcoming the tough challenges.

“The path to eradicating polio in Africa has been a monumental effort of multinational coordination on an unprecedented scale.

“It involved providing vaccinations to hundreds of millions of children and conducting immunisation campaigns in some of the most remote locations in the world, with vigilance and exhaustive surveillance to timely detect outbreaks, including among people on the move.

“It has involved men and women volunteering in the thousands, sometimes putting themselves in harm’s way, some even sacrificing their life for this work,” she said.

Moeti noted that the successes recorded were possible with the perseverance of countries and partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative who have mobilised the financial and technical resources to get the job done.

On the challenges that could hinder progress, she said they included inaccessibility due to conflict and insecurity in some areas.

“Variations in campaign quality, massive mobile populations and, in some instances, parental refusal have prevented health workers from reaching all children everywhere with polio vaccines alongside suboptimal routine immunisation coverage.

“As a result, outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived polio virus– a rare occurrence in communities with low levels of population immunity– are still possible in several countries across Africa.

“This August’s milestone on wild polio is a positive sign of progress across the continent, but our work has not yet done,” Moeti said.

The WHO director urged Nigeria and other African countries to remain vigilant in the immunisation and surveillance efforts.

“Every country must continue to ensure that it is closely looking for the virus and reaching every child with vaccines,’’ Moeti said. (NAN)
VIV/GOK
==
Edited by Olagoke Olatoye

Health

Lagos, Ogun States move to eradicate polio

Lagos, Ogun States move to eradicate polio

Polio
Abeokuta, May 17, 2019 (NAN) The Ogun and Lagos Governments have agreed to synergise on best ways to eradicate polio in the two neighbouring states.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the stakeholders’ meeting held in Abeokuta on Friday.
The forum was attended by representatives of the two states, World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
The delegates underscored the need to make deliberate efforts to accommodate every child in the forthcoming Outbreak Response (OBR) campaign that would take place at the border towns and hard- to -reach areas.
In his welcome address, Dr Elijah Ogunsola, the Executive Secretary, Ogun State Primary Healthcare Development Board, said that the objective of the synchronisation meeting was to improve on Polio eradication efforts of the two states.
He urged parents and guardians to make their children available during the campaign.
Also speaking, the WHO Zonal Coordinator, Lagos and Ogun states, Dr Rosemary Onyibe, said all stakeholders have roles to play in the war against Polio, adding that the onus is on all to plan assiduously to ensure that every child was immunised.
On her part, the UNICEF Specialist, Dr Hayon Nam, added that the Outbreak Response (OBR) campaign was the first in many years in Southwest Nigeria, urging participants to seize the opportunity of the campaign to root out the virus in the states.
According to the Ogun State Coordinator, WHO, Dr Sunday Abidoye, the major challenge is the awkward movement of teams in the states without proper planning, thereby missing out children in hard-to-reach areas.
He added that the meeting would ensure collaboration between ward Vocal Persons working in border areas.
Dr Olatunde Adebiyi, the Ogun state Coordinator, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, charged participants to be up and doing in discharging their duties.
Dr Eniola Erinosho, the Director, Medical Services and Disease Control, Lagos State, said stakeholders should be accountable in their effort to eradicate polio, noting that both states shared borders in about 10 local government areas.
Some of the recommendations at the end of the meeting were to target older settlements for end-process monitoring and for border communities to be assessed for quality activities.
Others were to ensure that coverage under 90 per cent be redone all together, as well as ensure that border activities plan template be filled in triplicate for both states before submission. (NAN)
YAF/NNO/MST
Edited by Nick Nicholas/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Polio: LASG to immunise children aged 0-5

Child being given polio vaccine. (Photo credit bbc.com and WHO)

By Vivian Ihechu

Lagos, May 3, 2019 (NAN) In response to the discovery of environmental Polio Virus strains in Lagos State, the Lagos State Government will embark on House to House polio Immunisation for all children  aged 0-five years, irrespective of the previous immunisation status.

Government said the move would help prevent poliomyelitis that might result in paralysis of the limbs.

Mrs Modupe Owojuyigbe, Director, Health Education, Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Friday,  that the  exercise was scheduled for May 11 to May 14.

She said “Polio immunisation is free, it is safe, it is painless and it is effective.

“Eligible children between the ages 0 to five years are being given the immunisation.

“ There is an issue around polio now because there is an environmental strain found in town, in Lagos State, and to avoid the outbreak , we have to give the vaccine to all children.

“The exercise is going to be house to house, churches, mosques, schools, playgrounds, event centres, gated estates,  anywhere the children will be found.

“The vaccinators will put markings on the children’s smallest fingers to identify the child that has been given; they will check the nails and once the mark is there, they will know the child has been given.

“We have done the first round in in some selected wards in Lagos Mainland & and Mushin Local Government Areas,’’ she told NAN.

According to Owojuyigbe, the May 11 to May 14 immunisation is the second round while the 3rd round  will be from June 15 to June 18.

Also, “We have the National Immunisation Plus Day which will come up in July and August.

“Parents and guardians should give consent to school authorities to allow the vaccination teams to give two drops of polio vaccine into the mouth of their children/wards during the exercise.

“Once again, Polio vaccine is safe, free & effective,’’ she told NAN.

She said that  parents, caregivers, pastors imams, traditional and community leaders, market leaders, youth groups, proprietors, teachers, artisans, CSOs, NGOs, CBOs and all residents of Lagos State should be informed  and residents are advised to contact 08033261359,  08023708901 for more information.

Children suffering from Poliomyelitis

According to World Health Organisation, WHO, Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that it invades the nervous system, and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours.

The virus is transmitted from person-to-person through ingestion of infected fecal matter

Following infection, the virus is shed intermittently in excrement for several weeks with little or no symptoms in majority of cases. The initial symptoms of poliomyelitis include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, neck stiffness and pain in the limbs.

VIV/JTJ
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Edited by Julius Toba-Jegede

Health

Polio: Council deploys 72 teams for house-to-house immunisation

Polio: Council deploys 72 teams for House-to-House immunization

By Yakubu Uba
Immunisation
Yola, March 16, 2019 (NAN) No fewer than 72 teams including town criers have been deployed for the house-to-house polio immunization for children from 0 to 59 months in Yola North Metropolitan Local Government Area in Adamawa.

The Executive Secretary of the Local Government Primary Healthcare Department, Mallam Salihu Bello, made this known on Saturday in Yola while speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the commencement of the 4-day Supplementary Immunization Plus Days (SIPDs 1) in the area.

Bello said there are also 59 Special Teams that move around immunizing children playing on the streets, while another 22 teams known as Fix Post were stationary at strategic places for the immunization.

“Before today’s commencement of the 4-day SIPDs 1, we had immunized 33,294 children from Thursday to Friday. So we had the Direct polio vaccine (DOPV) on the streets to create awareness for the SIPDs.”

Bello said as for now, no report of rejection was recorded in any household as experienced in the last immunization in February, adding that the few cases recorded in February were resolved with the help of religious leaders.

He lauded the active role being played by traditional and religious leaders in promoting the campaign against polio and other diseases and urged them to sustain the tempo.

“I also want to appeal to parents and guardians to bear in mind that polio and other vaccines are the right of the child and since the child cannot bring himself to access the free vaccines they should avail the child the opportunity to get the vaccines.

“Polio vaccine in particular cannot be found in chemists; so parents need to patronize our centres for routine immunization which is now daily as against weekly that was the case before,” Bello said. (NAN)
YMU/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Community informants helping to combat Polio in Borno – WHO

Community informants helping to combat Polio in Borno, says WHO

By Yashim Katurak
Polio
Abuja, Feb. 27, 2019 (NAN) The World Health Organisation (WHO) says the organisation’s engagement of community informants for surveillance of suspected cases of polio in hard-to-reach and crisis ridden parts of Borno is yielding positive impact in the state.

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, said in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday that many local government areas in the state have become access-compromised following nearly a decade of insurgency.

Moeti said that this has made it difficult for the local population to access basic and quality health services, adding that infants have been one of the main victims to this development.

According to her, health workers in some areas have been unable to distribute vaccines or provide needed routine immunisation services and children are particularly at risk of vaccine-preventable diseases such as polio.

Moeti said that as surveillance officers cannot access certain areas, local residents have been engaged and trained to help support strengthening of disease surveillance in hard-to-reach areas.

“Following nearly a decade of insurgency, many local government areas in Borno State have become access-compromised, making it difficult for the local population to access basic health services and quality healthcare.

“Infants have been one of the main victims of this situation as health workers in some areas have been unable to distribute vaccines or provide much needed routine immunisation services.

“In this context, children are particularly at risk of vaccine-preventable diseases such as polio. This development has made it challenging to carry out effective identification of all Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) cases and thereby fully verify the absence of poliovirus in the area.

“As surveillance officers cannot access certain areas, local residents are engaged and trained to help support strengthening of disease surveillance in hard-to-reach areas.

“Engagement of community informants for AFP surveillance has yielded positive impact in Borno State.

“From January 31 to December 31, 2018, the community informant initiative has helped to significantly strengthen the disease surveillance capacity in key areas, including hard-to-reach areas.

“Key to rapidly detecting any poliovirus that might be circulating, and thereby enabling a rapid outbreak response is the timely detection and investigation of all cases of AFP, in other words any child who develops sudden weakness of the limbs,” Moeti said.

She said that current insecurity in the region has also made it difficult to effectively identify all AFP cases in order to verify the absence of poliovirus in the area.

Moeti said that building on the success of engaging community informants, the organisation and its partners would continue to support Nigeria in sustaining this work and ensure that all AFP cases were detected.

Dr Clement Peter, Officer in Charge (OiC), WHO Nigeria, said that as a key partner of Nigeria in the effort against polio, WHO was committed to sustaining and expanding the hard-gained progress achieved in surveillance in hard-to-reach areas.

Peter said that the engaged local informants have also been very helpful in monitoring other IDSR diseases such as measles, whooping cough, Tuberculosis (TB) and meningitis.

He said that the community informant initiative was made possible with the active support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).

The OiC said that in addition to its support to the community informant initiative, WHO would expand AFP surveillance network in the region through the sustained integration of Mobile Hard-to-Reach teams into surveillance activities.

Dr Sule Mele, the Executive Director, State Primary Health Care Agency, Borno, said that this year, 17 AFP cases have already been reported from hard-to-reach settlements while one out of the 17 AFP cases is from a hard-to-reach settlement in the Lake Chad Islands.

Mele said that it was therefore imperative to continue to sustain the progress achieved in AFP surveillance in insecure areas through the use of community informants.

He said that this was because the strategy has also enabled the agency to provide additional basic maternal and child health interventions to the underserved and vulnerable population. (NAN)
KRY/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

UNICEF lauds journalists for promoting public health

UNICEF lauds journalists for promoting public health

By Aisha Ahmed
Polio
Kano, Jan. 17, 2019 (NAN) The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has commended Journalists Against Polio (JAP) in Kano for promoting public health.
The Kano State Leader of the international body, Malam Kabiru Rabiu, made the commendation on Thursday in Kano at a Townhall meeting to review the activities of the journalists.
He said that the support of journalists, especially in health related areas, had shown a tremendous development in polio and routine immunisation in Kano.
The official however tasked the journalists to explore more ways to develop and widen their intervention in healthcare delivery.
“UNICEF has a plan to do a mapping exercise for media organisations in the state in order to develop more health programmes and yield more in the health sector,” Rabiu said.
NAN reports that the state Ministry of Health on collaboration with development partners in Polio eradication organised the townhall meeting.
JAP is a composition of newsmen in Kano who cover the health sector in their beats.
The association was launched in the state in 2012. (NAN)
AAA /OMO/MST
Edited by Martins Odey/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Polio: FCT commences vaccination Dec. 15

Polio: FCT commences vaccination Dec. 15
By Olasunkanmi Onifade
Vaccination
Abuja, Dec. 14, 2018 (NAN) The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) says it will commence polio immunisation for children under the ages of five on Dec. 15.

The Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretariat, Mr Abubakar Bappa, said this on Friday during the official flag off of the first round of Polio Outbreak Vaccination Response exercise in Abuja.

He said the polio vaccination serves as a booster dose for children already vaccinated and an opportunity to reach out to missed children.

“It is a continuation of the sub-national vaccine response to the upsurge of circulating vaccine derived polio virus type 2 cases this year, in 26 LGAs in the nine states of Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Yobe and Taraba.

“The FCT will continue to participate as scheduled to keep her residents protected.

“This is the first round; Polio Outbreak Vaccine Response, Sub-National Immunisation plus Days (SNIPDs) in the FCT is from Saturday, Dec. 15, to Tuesday, Dec. 18,’’ Bappa said.

He said that FCT has technically interrupted transmission of the wild polio virus as the last confirmed outbreak was in the first quarter of 2013 with three cases.

Bappa said the FCT Task Force on Polio Eradication Initiative and Routine Immunisation is the relevant structure necessary to institutionalise quality planning, implementation and evaluation of all Supplemental and Routine Immunisation activities.

“I will remind members that activities are being monitored by partners and donor agencies, the National Polio Emergency Operations Centre of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency as well as international community.

“I urge the Chairmen of the six Area Councils to take up the challenge and be part of the polio end game,’’ he said.

Bappa, however, appealed to royal fathers, religious leaders, stakeholders and other well meaning Nigerians in the FCT to continue to support the administration in ensuring that all residents are healthy and productive.

The Sapeyi of Garki, Alhaji Usman Kupi, advised residents to take their health seriously, saying health is wealth.

He called on parents and care givers to ensure their children between the eligible ages were vaccinated as any child infected with the virus can affect a whole community.

The representative of UNICEF, Mrs Iyabobola Ajibola, said the reason for the immunisation was due to the recent discovery of the virus in Kaduna State.

She appealed to parents and caregivers to cooperate with the health workers as there is no overdose to the vaccination. (NAN)
OEO/VIV/MST
Editing by Vivian Ihechu/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Immunisation: Nasarawa Govt partners traditional institution on mobilisation

Immunisation: Nasarawa Govt partners traditional institution on mobilisation
By Awayi Kuje
Polio
Karu (Nasarawa state), Oct. 29, 2018 (NAN) The Nasarawa state Government has urged traditional rulers in the state to mobilise parents to avail their children to all immunisation response exercise towards eradicating polio and other deadly diseases.
Mr Vincent Olotu, the Team Leader and member of the state’s Social Mobilisation Committee on Polio Immunisation, made this known on Monday when the committee paid a courtesy call on the Etsu Karu, Mr Luka Baba, in Karu.
Olotu said that the committee were in the royal father’s palace to seek his assistance to massively mobilise his subjects to embrace the forthcoming polio immunisation to eradicate polio and other diseases in the state.
He said that the committee would continue to educate the people on the danger of polio to wipe out the disease in the country.
The team leader commended the role played by the traditional ruler during previous exercises and called for its sustenance.
“We need to make sure communities in the state key into the response efforts of government; that is why we are here to seek your assistance on the need for you to mobilise your subjects to embrace polio vaccination,” he said.
He added that polio immunisation is not harmful, hence the need for parents to cooperate with vaccinators to eradicate the disease.
The leader of the team called for collective effort among Nigerians to eradicate polio and other deadly diseases to improve on the people’s health.
Responding, Baba thanked them for the visit and assured of his continued commitment to mobilise parents to embrace polio immunisation in the interest of the health of their children.
The first class monarch therefore urged his subjects and Nigerians to embrace peace and tolerate one another irrespective of their affiliation, in the interest of development.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the forthcoming Polio immunisation in the state would commence on Nov. 3. (NAN)
AKW/OIF/MST
Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo/Muhammad Suleiman Tola