Nigeria to Immunize 30 Million Children Against Polio, Measles | Voice of America - English
Some 30 million children in Nigeria are to be vaccinated against polio and measles during an integrated immunization campaign set to begin in the northern states on Wednesday. The drive is led by the country's health ministry, with financial and technical support from UNICEF, the World Health Organization and other partners.
For five days 200,000 healthworkers will be stationed at 33,000 schools throughout northern Nigeriato administer oral polio drops and measles vaccines to millions ofchildren under the age of five in a new drive to eradicate the twodiseases. Polio cases have more than doubled this year inNigeria as health officials struggle to fight various natural strainsof the virus as well as outbreaks set off by the polio vaccine itselfthree years ago. Kano, in northern Nigeria, has been theepicenter for the transmission of the crippling polio virus to otherparts of the world since 2003 when the authorities suspended polioimmunization for 13 months. The suspension followed claims byradical Muslim clerics and some medical doctors that the vaccine waslaced with substances that could render girls infertile as part of aU.S.-led Western plot to depopulate Africa. Dr. Lola Mabogunje,regional field activity director for non-governmental CommunityParticipation for Action in the Social Sector polio project in Kano,says immunization is now gaining strong support in the region. "Thereis an upsurge by WHO [World Health Organization], people are asking whythe upsurge? But I can tell you the communities are now renewed. Everymosque now, on Friday they announce the importance of immunization,which is quite impressive. At every naming ceremony they do theannouncement and actually pray for eradication of polio. If prayers areoffered that polio eradication should succeed that is a new vigor," shesaid. In addition to polio and measles vaccines, the childrenwill be given a dose of vitamin A and insecticide treated bed nets. TheNigerian government paid for the vaccines as well as half of theoperational cost of about $20 million. A measles outbreak in thenorth has killed hundreds of children in the past few months. Healthexperts blame the outbreak on parents' failure to take their childrenfor routine immunization. The second phase of the nationwide campaign is scheduled for the southern region in December.