By Joyce Remi- Babayeju
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, has authoritatively said that there is currently no case of Wild Polio Virus, WPV , in Nigeria.
The agency said this in a reaction to some media reports claiming there is a new polio virus, Mutant Polio Virus Type 2 (cMPV2) outbreaks in some states.
Refuting some media reports via a released signed by the Executive Director of NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib made available to newsman today said, “For the avoidance of doubt, no case of Wild Polio Virus (WPV) has been reported anywhere in the country since the last case in 2016. We currently have 395 cases of Circulating Mutant Poliovirus Type 2 (cMPV2) across 27 states and the FCT.”
According to the agency, “Nigeria and the African region were certified Wild Polio Virus (WPV) free in 2020, following a rigorous verification and certification process by the African Regional Commission for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication (ARCC) which spanned three years of no detection of WPV. Till date, there has been no case of WPV anywhere in the country.”
Meanwhile the NPHCDA has assured Nigerians of continued to surveillance and vaccination campaigns to prevent and contain any possible importation of the Wild Polio Virus into the country.
The agency emphasized the importance of parents and caregivers bringing their children out for routine immunization against vaccine preventable diseases.
However NPHCDA said that cMPV2 outbreaks are caused by immunity gaps in children due to several reasons, including low routine immunization coverage, and missing children during immunization campaigns.
The suspension of several polio campaigns and other health programmes in 2020, as well as disruptions to routine immunization because of the COVID-19 pandemic, created further immunity gaps which led to new and wider outbreaks, and further increased transmission of the circulating mutant poliovirus both globally and within Nigeria.
The viruses thrive in areas with poor sanitation, open defecation, and inadequate access to clean drinking water.
These have allowed the virus to be easily transmitted from one person to another through contaminated water and poor sewage disposal. Also Malnutrition due to increasing poverty is also a predisposing factor in exposed children. These non-wild polio viruses which originated because of normal changes in the reproduction of viruses in the environment are not as virulent as WPV and are also being reported in many other countries, the agency explained.
Shuaib disclosed that already Nigeria has acquired new tools and resources to ensure the outbreaks are contained through very robust outbreak responses using the novel Oral Polio Vaccine (nOPV2) which has been shown to be effective in halting the spread of the cMPV2.
He said that the 36 States and FCT have completed at least one nOPV2 Outbreak Response (OBR).
Other measures include several other rounds of the OBR and use of Injectable Polio Vaccine, IPV, planned for this year as other
campaigns to improve the mucosal immunity of children aged o-5 years.
