The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) on Tuesday said Nigeria has recorded a 46 per cent decline in the Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Virus Type 2 (cVDPV2) compared to the previous year.
The Executive Director of NPHCDA, Muyi Aina, made this known in Abuja, during the Second Quarter 2025 review meeting of the Northern Traditional Leaders Committee (NTLC) on Primary Health Care Delivery.
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Mr Aina said the reported poliovirus cases had declined from 78 per cent recorded last year to 46 per cent as of today.
He also noted progress in high-burden states such as Kano and Katsina, where infections dropped by 85 and 84 per cent respectively.
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“We don’t want to be caught unprepared. This is why we are calling on the collaboration of the media to complement the efforts of our traditional leaders. We are also a voice of the people, and time is not on our side,” he said.
He also addressed persistent challenges including fake finger-marking during vaccination and insecurity, which he said undermined the credibility of ongoing campaigns.
He emphasised that providing accurate information to parents remains critical, as no mother would knowingly endanger her child.
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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was chaired by the Emir of Argungu, Sa’Maila Muhammad Mera.
NAN also reports that polio or poliomyelitis is a highly contagious viral disease that mainly affects children under five. It can cause paralysis, respiratory problems, and sometimes death.
The virus spreads through contaminated food, water, or direct contact. Most infections show no symptoms, but some cause fever, fatigue, and limb pain.
Intensifying efforts
In his welcome remarks, Mr Muhammad Mera urged members of the NTLC to intensify their efforts, stressing that the final stretch in the fight against poliovirus is often the toughest.
“We must not relent in our commitment to halting the transmission of cVDPV2 in our Emirates and Kingdoms,” he said.
“It is indeed a sacred duty we owe our people whom Almighty Allah has placed under our care.”
The Emir also bemoaned the challenges in the uptake of other integrated services during vaccination campaigns, noting low acceptance of HPV vaccines and anti-malaria interventions in some areas.
He called on traditional leaders to educate communities, reassure caregivers, and mobilise households to embrace all vaccines.
In a goodwill message, Sam Okiror, senior programme officer of the Gates Foundation (BMGF) in Nigeria, commended traditional leaders for their commitment to past immunisation drives, including the newly introduced Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
Mr Okiror noted the success of the strategy which empowered traditional leaders to supervise and hold vaccination teams accountable, adding that the approach helped address challenges such as fake finger-marking and non-compliance.
He, however, identified two pressing obstacles: low routine immunisation coverage and insecurity in states such as Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Niger, and Borno.
“Low routine immunisation rates, especially in northern states, continue to contribute to the transmission of variant poliovirus and other vaccine-preventable diseases,” he said.
“Traditional leaders can play a crucial role in encouraging fathers to support mothers in taking children for immunisation.”
He also urged royal fathers to negotiate safe passage for vaccinators and other primary healthcare services in security-compromised communities.
UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, Wafaa Saeed-Abdelatef, expressed optimism that Nigeria is nearing the final stretch of polio eradication.
Ms Saeed-Abdelatef, however, warned that nomadic and mobile populations, as well as children in insecure and hard-to-reach areas, continue to miss vaccinations.
“We are hopeful that we are now at the final stretch in Nigeria, and also globally,” she said.
“Still, nomadic and other mobile populations characterised by frequent movement and limited access to healthcare services continue to pose a challenge to polio eradication efforts, along with other issues such as water and sanitation.”
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She emphasised the critical role of traditional rulers in breaking transmission in the Lake Chad region where cultural and linguistic ties extend across 17 countries.
She also sought the support of traditional rulers in the upcoming integrated measles, rubella, and polio vaccine campaign, which will introduce a new vaccine into Nigeria’s routine immunisation programme.
Ms Saeed-Abdelatef also confirmed progress in primary health care revitalisation, noting that over 1,160 facilities have been upgraded nationwide, with another 2,800 in the process of being equipped.
She noted that traditional leaders’ engagement remained central to vaccination successes, ensuring supervision, accountability, and improved compliance among caregivers.
“With sustained collaboration among government, communities, media, and traditional institutions, Nigeria can finish strong in its race to eliminate the virus,” she said.
The NTLC meeting attended by government representatives, development partners, and traditional rulers from 19 states and the FCT, provided a platform for experience sharing, strategic alignment, and reinforcement of community-led approaches in polio eradication and primary health care delivery.
(NAN)
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