PRESS BRIEFING ON NIGERIA POLIO ERADICATION

PRESS BRIEFING ON NIGERIA POLIO ERADICATION

The Government and United Nations agencies were now poised for a massive effort to re-launch a polio eradication programme in Nigeria, correspondents were told today at a Headquarters press briefing.

The Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Africa and special envoy for polio eradication in that country, Ibrahim Gambari, said he knew that the issue of polio eradication did not command as much international media attention as the other stories of the day, but the issue was a “real” one.  Prior to the current setback in Nigeria and a few other countries, largely Pakistan, India and the Niger, the goal of eradicating poverty and polio throughout the world was on its way to being achieved.  Unfortunately, the suspension of eradication activities in the northern State of Kano had resulted in an “uncontrolled” polio epidemic.  Nigeria had 43 per cent of the world’s polio new cases in 2003 and 87 per cent of Africa’s total new cases.  It had thus become a priority for eradication globally.  He had visited Nigeria to discuss with stakeholders there how to remove the roadblock and reverse the setback. 

He conveyed the concerns of the Secretary-General that global polio eradication efforts had suffered a serious setback.  His second concern was that the emergence of polio in Nigeria had spread to eight other Central and West African countries, thereby making the issue both regional and international.  Further, that setback would continue to divert scarce resources from other important issues, an even greater burden on areas with limited resources.  So, his mission had two main goals:  to ensure that polio campaigns began nationwide as soon as possible in Nigeria; and to try to bring closure to the debate on the safety of the oral polio virus vaccine (OPV), thereby facilitating early commencement of the immunization exercise. 

While in Nigeria, Mr. Gambari said he had met with President Obasanjo, Professor Lambo, the Federal Minister of Health, and other key leaders, including former heads of State, the Sultan of Sokoto, the Governor of Sokoto State, the Emir of Kano and the Governor of Kano State.  He also met with traditional rulers and religious leaders, who had important roles to play in mobilizing Africans to see that they resume the immunization exercise as soon as possible.  Among his major findings was that there was now a report of the OPV Committee, which had been set up to study the safety question.  While the contents were still confidential, the tone of the report was quite positive. 

Meanwhile, he appealed to the media to reduce the level of rhetoric on both sides on the question of the safety of the oral vaccine, while the modalities of resuming immunization countrywide were worked out and negotiating a clear road map to do so.  Important steps were also being taken.  For example, that report had been submitted to the President and key committee members were signing on to its conclusion.  The President was meeting with all the major stakeholders and traditional leaders to sensitize them to the contents of the report, the safety of the vaccine and to lay the foundation for resuming the nationwide immunization, which would hopefully start on 22 March.

Finally, the former Presidents of Nigeria were considering issuing a declaration urging the full resumption of countrywide immunization, following submission of the final report on the safety of the vaccine.  So, steps already taken and outlined by the authorities, if fully undertaken, would contribute significantly to the resumption of the campaign, thereby advancing the goal of the global eradication of polio. 

Asked how realistic the target of December 2004 was, just nine months away, to stop the spread of the disease in Nigeria, he said he was cautiously optimistic that, if all the roadblocks were removed and immunization took place countrywide, that goal could be achieved soon after December 2004. 

Asked for details on how the contributors to the study had determined the safety of the vaccine, he said the committee had been set up by the Federal Government, in consultation with the State governments, to travel to three countries –- India, Indonesia and, he believed, South Africa, to test the vaccine.  The report would conclude that the vaccine was safe.  There had been some queries about some substantive findings involving estrogen, but the levels found had not constituted a health hazard.  In order to ensure that the findings met the concerns of laypersons, the committee’s composition was expanded to be all-inclusive, involving traditional and religious leaders.  

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