KWENU! Our culture, our future

 Polio Palaver

Sunday,  February 22,   2004

We had just settled down for a marathon three-hour public health lecture last Monday. We were all keenly watching a power-point presentation on the synergy between disease and poverty in developing countries. Stopping suddenly to highlight a point raised in the film about the prevalence of childhood diseases in West Africa, the professor turned to me and said: "At this point, Adeze Ojukwu, a Humphrey Fellow and a journalist from Nigeria, may wish to give the class an update on the polio crises in northern Nigeria.’

Was I embarrassed? More than embarrassed but then I had to mumble a few words after a resounding silence: " The federal government was cooperating with the relevant international agencies to resolve the crises…." I left it at that. Apparently I could not venture any further for obvious reasons, one of which was patriotism. Fortunately the ebullient professor turned to another equally sad issue of child labor prevalent in Asia and Africa. But did that help me? No.

For the rest of the class my attention was focused on the ‘polio controversy.’ Several thoughts juggled for space in my mind. For a start, how could I have told this class of American university students that Nigeria, the purported giant of Africa, is spreading polio to areas that had been certified polio-free.

Or, again, how could I have informed them that the crisis is fuelled by some religious factors or perhaps political bigotry. Or, how would these young American public health enthusiasts come to terms with the fact that thousands of innocent Nigerian children and many others across the West African region may be exposed to polio infection in the 21^st century over some inexplicable reasons.

As I write this column, I sincerely wish that the major players in this debacle, which has exposed Nigeria to tremendous ridicule in the comity of nations, will comply with the recommendations of World Health Organization (WHO). 

It is recalled that recently, ‘Ministers of Health from the six remaining polio-endemic countries declared that polio should be relegated to history books within the next 12 months at a high-level meeting in Geneva. The ministers from Afghanistan, Egypt, India, Niger, Nigeria, and Pakistan unveiled a bold new plan to immunize 250 million children multiple times during a series of massive polio immunization campaigns in 2004.

They concurred on ‘an all-out effort to reach every child with the polio vaccine from early in 2004, particularly in Nigeria, India, and Pakistan, which together account for more than 95 percent of all polio cases worldwide. Within these three countries, transmission of poliovirus is further confined to "polio hotspots," especially in five states and provinces (Kano in Nigeria, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in India, and North West Frontier Province and Sindh in Pakistan) that together are linked to more than 75 percent of all new cases worldwide in 2003.

Sad enough it was revealed that ‘Nigeria is currently the greatest risk to global eradication.’ And the story:

 ‘In late 2003, immunization activities against polio were brought to a halt in Kano, in Northern Nigeria, the last major polio reservoir in Africa because of unfounded rumours which suggested that the polio vaccine was not safe. With immunization activities stalled in the state and polio campaigns of a sub-optimal quality in other northern states, polio was able to creep back across Nigeria and spread into the previously polio-free countries Cameroon, Chad, and through Niger, into Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Togo, putting 15 million children at risk and necessitating a massive immunization campaign across west and central Africa.’

Nigerian health minister, Professor Eyitayo Lambo, outlined the steps the country will take to "dramatically" improve polio campaigns in the first half of 2004, particularly in the northern states where the virus continues to circulate widely.

 "We will work together as one -- federal and state governments, religious and traditional leaders, Christians and Muslims -- to reach every child with the polio vaccine. It is the responsibility of every Nigerian to ensure polio is eliminated from every area, north and south, of our great country. Nigeria is determined to break the chains of polio transmission for the sake of our children, our neighbours' children, and the children of the world."

It is expedient at this juncture to take a cursory look at latest figures on the crippling disease as a result of that very costly boycott.

 ‘In 2003, Nigeria had the highest number of polio cases anywhere in the world (302 as of 13 January 2004), and accounted for 45 percent of all confirmed cases globally. A number of states in Nigeria, especially Kano, stopped participating in sub-national immunization campaigns in autumn 2003 due to unfounded rumours of lack of vaccine safety, leading to a dramatic decline in overall immunity levels and a significant increase in polio cases.’

‘Currently, Kano now has more polio cases than any other area in the world, including Uttar Pradesh in India, until recently the world's largest polio reservoir.’ 

‘Poliovirus from the north of the country is re-infecting previously polio-free areas within Nigeria, including the densely populated city of Lagos, and nearby countries. This year, poliovirus from Nigeria has been exported to Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Niger and Togo, threatening children across west and central Africa.’

‘Many states in the south of Nigeria were polio-free from mid-2001 to mid-2003, demonstrating that transmission can be stopped in the north if high-quality immunization campaigns are conducted throughout 2004.’

 Poliomyelitis is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. It invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours. The virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine. Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck , and pain in the limbs. Polio mainly affects children under five years of age.

The bad news: There is no cure for polio, it can only be prevented.

The good news: Polio vaccine, given multiply, can protect a child for life.

 The latest measure to end the scourge despite stiff oppositions undoubtedly ‘presents an unprecedented opportunity to eradicate a disease that once paralyzed hundreds of thousands of children each year.’ But this calls for cooperation and not wrangling.

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