Nigeria to begin emergency polio campaign after two new cases emerge

On Thursday, the World Health Organization announced that two cases of paralysis caused by the polio virus had been detected in Borno state.

Nigeria’s last case of wild polio virus was reported in July 2014 and any hope of Nigeria being declared polio-free on July 24, 2017 have been dashed with the appearance of these two new cases.
The W.H.O. requires three years with no confirmed cases before declaring a region polio-free.

“We are deeply saddened by the news,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the W.H.O. regional director for Africa. “The overriding priority now is to immunize all children around the affected area.”

On Thursday morning, President Muhammadu Buhari and Minister of Health, Prof. Adewole met with the Executive Secretary, the United Nations Populations Fund, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin,  to devise a 48 hours strategy to quickly address the spread of the virus.