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Health

How Africa can earn polio-free certification — WHO

Polio
By Yashim Katurak
Abuja, Oct. 24, 2018 (NAN) The World Health Organisation (WHO) said Africa stood the chance of being certified polio-free by the end of 2019 or early 2020 if member states could strengthen medical surveillance and ensure that no polio case was recorded.

The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti,  said this in her message on Wednesday in Abuja, to mark the World Polio Day.

Moeti, however, warned countries in the region against being complacent until polio is eradicated.

She called on all countries to continue to strengthen surveillance efforts in secured and unsecured areas given that the region still remained predisposed to outbreaks.

According to her, although the region has made tremendous progress towards polio eradication, some states have continued to circulate vaccine-derived poliovirus.

The regional director attributed the trend to weak routine immunisation.

She said that since the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) nearly 30 years ago, new cases of polio had dropped from 350,000 cases yearly in more than 125 countries and by more than 99.9 per cent, to 22 wild polio cases in two affected countries in 2017.

“As a region, our surveillance efforts need to be strengthened. It will be a disaster if we fail to be certified because of poor surveillance performance.

“A number of countries have sub-optimal surveillance in both secured and in secured areas.

“I therefore urge all countries whether they have had a case of polio or not to recommit to strengthening surveillance urgently.

“As late as 2012, the region accounted for more than half of the global polio burden, but polio cases have dropped steadily from 128 cases in 2012 to four cases in 2016 and 0 cases in 2017 and 2018.

“The region has now reached an important milestone towards eradication; it has been more than two years since the last case of wild poliovirus.

“I applaud the excellent efforts of governments, polio eradication partners, communities, parents and health workers in achieving this.
“This is no time however to be complacent. Until polio is eradicated, all countries remain at risk of outbreaks.

“As a region, Africa can only be certified to have eradicated polio if three years have passed without any confirmed wild poliovirus.

“Also if polio surveillance has been maintained at the level required for certification, If no new case is confirmed and surveillance is quickly strengthened, the region can be certified to have eradicated polio by end of 2019 or early 2020.”

Moeti also called on all member states to take proactive steps towards the containment of the poliovirus and potential poliovirus infectious materials in a timely manner to prevent the spread of the disease.

She said that this could lead to catastrophic outbreaks and reverse the gains towards eradication.

The regional director said that eradication of  polio needed political commitment and adequate resources.

She assured member states of WHO’s support.

Moeti expressed optimism that the region would soon eradicate polio, but called on member countries to work together to ensure that the objective was achieved.

The World Polio Day is celebrated every year on Oct. 24 to galvanise support to end polio, an incurable but completely vaccine preventable disease that still threatens children in a few places around the world. (NAN)
KRY/MO/YEE

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Edited by Omolade Michael/Emmanuel Yashim

Health

(Audio) WHO hasn’t enough resources to fight malaria in Nigeria — Country Rep.

Dr Wondi Alemu, Nigeria Country Representative, WHO

Malaria

By Yashim Katurak

Abuja, April 25, 2018 (NAN) The World Health Organisation (WHO) says it does not have enough resources to pursue the malaria eradication agenda in Nigeria as required by the Malaria Elimination Global Strategy.

Dr Wondi Alemu, the Nigeria Country Representative of the organisation, said this at news conference in Abuja on Tuesday to mark the “World Malaria Day 2018”.

Alemu said that although global health partners had pledged at least 6.7 billion dollars towards implementing the malaria elimination strategy, more funds were required to achieve the target in countries with high disease burden..

Cue in audio 1 (Alemu)

“Great has been done over many years but more needs to be done in addition to what has been put together from financial institutions.

“There is not enough money to push the implementation of the eradication agenda as indicated in the global strategy.

“I am talking globally on how this impacts the African region which has 80 per cent of the problem.’’

Cue out audio 1

Also speaking at the event, Dr Rex Mpazanje, the WHO Head of Cluster for Non-Communicable Diseases, said that globally, countries had made ambitious plans for malaria elimination without making the necessary arrangements for funding.

Cue in audio 2 (Mpazanje)

“All countries took the decision to go with the ambitious agenda of malaria elimination in line with Sustainable development Goals (SDGs).

“They have not so far matched that ambition with making available the necessary funding so that is really the challenge.

“It is not that the money has decreased; it is simply that the agenda of eliminating malaria requires a little bit more money and so far, globally the international community and countries have not yet put enough in line with the ambition of eliminating malaria.’’

Cue out audio 2

According to WHO reports, the African region had 194 million new cases of malaria and 410,000 deaths in 2016.

The region carried a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden recording 90 per cent of malaria cases and 91 per cent deaths the same year.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government on April 22, committed to secure 300 million dollars from the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank and African Development Bank to support the fight against malaria in the country.

The government also pledged additional 18.7 million dollars to leverage on the 37 million dollars from the Global Fund Grant to enable it distribute 15 million mosquito nets and support local manufacturing of essential malaria commodities.

The World Malaria Day is celebrated globally every year on April 25 to stress the need to accelerate efforts to defeat malaria.

The theme for the 2018 World Malaria Day is `Ready to Beat Malaria.  (NAN)

KRY/DOR/YEE

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Edited by Nyisom Dore/Emmanuel Yashim

 

Health

(Audio) WHO, health partners to vaccinate 25m Nigerians against yellow fever in 2018

By Yashim Katurak

Yellow fever

Abuja, April 13, 2018 (NAN) The World Health Organisation (WHO) says it will work closely with health partners to vaccinate more than 25 mllion people in Nigeria against yellow fever in 2018.

 

Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General, said this at the African Launch of “Strategy to Eliminate Yellow Fever Epidemic” (EYE Strategy) in Abuja.

Ghebreyesus said it was important to launch a new strategy of eliminating yellow fever  in Africa considering that the world was currently facing an increased risk of the disease.

Cue in audio 1 (Ghebreyesus)

 “Yellow fever must be a priority for Africa and of course for the whole world.

“The EYE strategy is a bold and innovative plan to vaccinate nearly one billion people in Africa against yellow fever by 2026.

“Nigeria has shown its commitment to the EYE strategy by vaccinating 14 million people since October last year including 1.2 million people in Borno state.

“With support from WHO and health partners more than 25 million people will be vaccinated against yellow fever in Nigeria this year.

“WHO was founded on the condition that health is a human right; no one should get sick and die just because they are poor.

“All people should have access to the health services they need when and where they need them without suffering financial hardships that includes yellow fever vaccines.”

  Cue out audio 1

He said 27 African countries were at high risk of yellow fever epidemics following its re-emergence as a public health threat.

 Cue in audio 2 (Ghebreyesus)

“Yellow fever has re-emerged as a public health threat in Africa and in the America’s.

“In Africa, 27 countries are at high risk of yellow fever epidemics.

“There are up to 170, 000 severe cases of yellow fever and 60, 000 deaths every year.

“Brazil has been responding to a yellow fever outbreak since December 2016 with almost 1,000 confirmed cases.

“There is a growing risk that yellow fever will spread to cities in Asia and other parts of the world; we must not let that happen we must act now.

“A single injection can protect a person for life.’’

  Cue out audio 2

He said that due to the yellow fever epidemic in parts of the world and Africa, the global vaccine supply has been exhausted.

The director general said producing the yellow fever vaccine was easy but countries were still faced with the challenge of eliminating the disease because companies producing it did not see it as a profitable business.

He said the vaccine was therefore difficult to access.

Ghebreyesus however, said that the organisation has appealed to Brazil which had the facility to produce the vaccine to support it with more vaccines for distribution to countries that needed it.

He urged Nigeria to integrate the yellow fever vaccination with other immunisation services delivered through the Primary Health Care Centres in order to reach more citizens within the shortest time.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, urged WHO to support the country with more vaccines had it had shortage of the product to reach more citizens.

The minister said the Federal Government was projecting to eliminate the disease in the next seven years but if WHO could support it with more vaccines it would eliminate the disease in five years. (NAN)

KRY/YEE

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 Edited by Emmanuel Yashim