By Felicia Imohimi
Abuja – The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organisation (WHO) said over 116 million children in 13 African countries would be vaccinated against Polio, next week.
In a statement in Abuja on Friday, both bodies of the UN said that 90,000 vaccinators had been mobilised to carry out the immunisation designed to tackle polio stronghold in the continent.
They said that the synchronised vaccination was one of the largest ever implemented in Africa.
The statement signed by UNICEF Chief of Communication, Ms Doune Porter, quoted Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa as saying that the exercise was part of urgent measures to permanently stop polio in Africa.
Moeti listed the benefiting countries as Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
He said that all children under five years would be immunized.
“All children under five years of age in the 13 countries will be simultaneously immunized in a coordinated effort to raise childhood immunity to polio across the continent.
“In August, 2016, four children were paralysed by the disease in security-compromised areas in Borno, North-Eastern Nigeria, widely considered to be the only place on the continent where the virus maintains its grip.
“Twenty years ago, Nelson Mandela launched the pan-African ‘Kick Polio out of Africa’ campaign.
“At that time, every single country on the continent was endemic to polio, and every year, more than 75,000 children were paralysed for life by this terrible disease.
“Thanks to the dedication of governments, communities, parents and health workers, this disease is now been beaten back to this final reservoir,’’ Moeti said.
He, however, cautioned that progress was fragile considering the epidemic-prone nature of the virus.
He further said that the virus could easily spread to under-protected areas of neighbouring countries hence it was declared public health emergency by public health ministers in five African countries.
On her part, Ms Marie-Pierre Poirier, UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa, said that with the strong commitment of Africa’s leaders, there was confidence that the remaining polio reservoir could be wiped out.
She noted that such effort would in a long way protect all future generations of African children from the crippling effects of polio once-and-for-all.
“Polio eradication will be an unparalleled victory, which will not only save all future generations of children from the grip of a disease that is entirely preventable, but will show the world what Africa can do when united.
“To stop the potentially dangerous spread of the disease as soon as possible, volunteers will deliver bivalent Oral Polio Vaccine (bOPV) to every house across all cities, towns and villages of the 13 countries.
“To succeed, this army of volunteers and health workers will work up to 12 hours per day, travelling on foot or bicycle, in often stifling humidity and temperatures in excess of 40°C.
“Each vaccination team will carry the vaccine in special carrier bags, filled with ice packs to ensure the vaccine remains below the required 8°C,’’ she said.