Nigeria News

Polio supplemental immunization activities (SIAs) have been met with stiff resistance in 478 quranic (Tsangaya) schools in the security-compromised state of Borno due to an array of reasons which deduced Immunization as a western ploy to check the growth of muslim population and fear that non-compliant parents may withdraw their children from schools that allow immunization

The Representative of the World Health Organization, Nigeria, Dr. Rui Gama Vaz has reaffirmed the commitment of WHO to support the on-going polio eradication initiative in Nigeria. Dr. Vaz gave this assurance during a courtesy call paid to him by the Chair of The Rotary Foundation, Mr. Dong Kurn Lee and other Rotary International dignitaries.

In 2013, Nasarawa and Niger States in the North Central region of Nigeria commonly referred to as the ‘Middle Belt’, given their geographical location on the map, had importation of the wild polio virus (WPV) each from endemic states after several months of stopping transmission. Since then, political commitment in the area has been rekindled with relentless personal commitment of State governors to protect states in the axis from re-infection through high-profile activities to create visibility for the Polio Eradication Initiative.

The immediate feedback from the just concluded 27th Expert Review Committee (ERC) on Polio and Routine Immunization in Nigeria has revealed  that the country ‘ is on the verge of making history by eradicating polio, the entire nation must be made aware, rallied and mobilized to capitalize on this unique window of opportunity’.

The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, has tasked Governors of the 36 states ‘to continue to provide personal leadership, in your states for the programme by requesting and reviewing monthly reports from the local government chairpersons on the progress being made in their areas’ in order to avoid complacency or relapse to the era of widespread transmission of the paralysing disease.

This Year, the World Malaria Day commemoration in Nigeria assumed a new dimension as the WHO Country Office of Nigeria supported a wide-range of activities across the five (5) states of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Lagos and Ogun to showcase commitment and partnership with the private sector, Non-Governmental Organizations, the media, research institutions, academia and the community in the fight against Malaria.

The Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Ethics and values, Dr Mrs Sarah Jibril commended WHO in Nigeria for supporting the awareness campaign on preventing and managing teenage pregnancies held on the 9th May 2014 at the Women Development Centre, Abakaliki the capital of Ebonyi state. The campaign was implemented by Bell and Bridge Crystal Foundation and supported by the World Health Organization, Nigeria. 

Abuja, Nigeria 24 June, 2014 - Poised towards the total  realization of the vision enshrined in the Global Vaccine Action Plan (Decade of Vaccines, 2011–2020) in which all individuals and communities enjoy lives free from vaccine-preventable diseases and the full benefit of immunization to all people through equitable access to immunization as well as utilizing the immunization systems for delivery of other primary health care delivery programmes,  WHO country office in Nigeria is supporting the Federal Ministry Health to address the issues of health inequities in the underserved

Abuja, 04 July 2014- The 2-day biannual meeting with Administrative support staff conducted from 2nd - 3rd July, 2014 has ended in Abuja   and was attended by the administrative, finance and operations staff from the central level as well as the 37 field offices. 

Abuja, 08 July, 2014 - The Stop Transmission of Polio (STOP) program started in 1998 with the primary aim to strengthen acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance, support national immunization days, and conduct polio case investigation and follow-up. These activities remain today but the program has grown to include strengthening routine immunization, measles mortality reduction, supportive supervision, and strengthening the Integrated Disease Surveillance program.