• As Senate panel probes $420m global grant
From Kemi Yesufu and Fred Itua, Abuja
Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole has blamed activities of Boko Haram for resurgence of the polio virus in some communities in Borno State.
The minister said occupation of the now-liberated communities made them inaccessible to vaccinators, leading to new cases of polio.
After 24 months of not recording a case of the wild polio virus in the country, three children were confirmed paralysed by the disease in Borno State. The cases were traced to Gwoza, Jere and Monguno Local Government Areas, once controlled by Boko Haram.
Speaking at the press conference to commemorate this year’s World Polio Day, Adewole said though hope of the country being certified polio-free by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2017 has been dashed by fresh outbreaks, the Federal Government has put measures in place to eradicate the disease. The minister said there is renewed move to vaccinate more children with the military assisting health workers in liberated communities.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Primary Healthcare and Communicable Diseases, Mao Ohuabunwa said, yesterday, the panel will probe over $420 million donations to Nigeria from international organisations towards eradicating polio in the country.
Ohuabunwa said Senate will also beam its searchlight on a recent disbursement of $1.5 million to the 36 states as the first tranche of money under the Saving One Million Lives Programme for Results (SOMLPFor R).
“We want to reassure all donors and partners of our resolve to ensure that funds are also well spent and that they reach the masses that need them. Key funding agencies like Global Fund, GAVI and several others will be engaged by my committee to ensure mistakes of the past are avoided and that funds from these donors are used judiciously,” Ohuabunwa said.
“As at October 14, 2016, the country detected four cases of the Wild Polio Virus from the security-compromised areas of North-East of Borno State. While this new outbreak is a setback for us, we must take it as a wake up call as a government and people to ensure that we all play
our part to stop the transmission of the virus in our shores.
“It is pertinent to state that the outbreak is not a failure of the polio eradication programme, but mainly due to the fact that the activities of the insurgents in the northeast have resulted in limited access to children
for immunisation and, indeed, health services, for several years,” he said.
While thanking the military, he added: “Part of the result of the
successful military operations is the liberation of many of these communities with consequent enhancement of programme access and our ability to detect these new polio cases. Beyond enabling our health team access to
the communities, the military is also assisting us in our response to this outbreak by providing protection for health workers, supporting movement of materials and personnel as well as providing vaccination services.
The minister disclosed that Nigeria’s recent immunization programmes have been done in conjunction with neighbouring countries, namely, Niger, Cameroun, Chad and Central African Republic.
He said with support of partners, the country has conducted three outbreak response rounds of polio vaccinations with additional rounds scheduled for next month and December.