ERC Discusses Polio Eradication Methods

The 39th meeting of the Experts Review Committee (ERC) on Polio and Routine Immunization in Nigeria was held in Abuja.

The meeting is expected to work out plans for National Emergency Action Plan NEAP 2023, through regular routine immunisation and Strategies to completely eradicate Polio viruses in Nigeria.

The WHO representative to Nigeria, Dr. Walter Mulombo who spoke via zoom reiterated the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) support for Nigeria to achieve a free Polio case in the county.

He said, “As partners, I believe we achieved a tremendous success so far in Polio eradication in Nigeria, and we are going to put all our effort into making sure that we completely eradicate Polio in Nigeria.”

The Chairman Expert Review Committee, on Polio and Routine Immunization in Nigeria, Dr. Akin Osibogun said “there are remarkable success in Polio eradication with the support of the Government and the partners are making progress with an 85% drop in the incidents of CPV2 in Nigeria.

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Dr. Osibogun said; “The challenge for us right now is to harness all the available resources in achieving zero Polio that is our goal, and focus on the strategies, including strengthening routine immunization and strengthening the primary health care systems as well as improving on our surveillance capability.”

The Executive Secretary of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Feisal Shuaibu in his goodwill message, said his Agency, donors, and partners were committed to ensuring that there are zero Polio cases in the year 2023.

Dr, Shuaibu said; “today we gathered here to work out modalities to ensure that the plan to eradicate Polio in Nigeria is sustained. In the last few years, we experienced Circulating Variants of Polio Viruses in some states due to low Immunization routines in those states.”

“Now that we have engagement with our partners and donors we want to penalise and fine-tune plans that we will eradicate every single form of Polio cases in Nigeria by end of 2023, whether it is cVpV2, VPV2.”