IRIN News

This article describes progress made by the polio eradication initiative in both Niger and Nigeria, and
underlines the possibility for successful global eradication of the disease at some point in the future.
Nigeria, one of the four remaining polio endemic countries left in the world, has seen only 156 new cases
in 2007, a dramatic decrease in the 753 cases reported at the same time last year.

Improved communication between Islamic leaders and health workers have allowed the programme to dispel many of the negative rumours surrounding the vaccine, and more Muslim children are vaccinated through alliances with Koranic schools than ever before. The government has also increased community involvement by providing incentives such as insecticide-treated mosquito nets, vitamin A supplements and de-worming medication as part of immunisation drives.

The weak link remaining in the programme is the border area shared with Niger. According to Christine Jaulmes of the United Nations Children's Fund in Nigeria, "A lot of people move from one side of the border to the other and so [when there is a vaccination campaign] many children may be missed."



Discussions are now currently underway to synchronise immunisation drives between the two country teams, as well as amongst teams working along the borders between states within the country. A clear date for polio eradication is still not known, but health workers remain hopeful that it is indeed a possibility.