In a continued effort to safeguard Nigeria’s hard-won polio-free status, Rotary leaders — Nigeria National PolioPlus Committee (NNPPC) Chairman, Past District Governor Joshua Hassan, and NNPPC Chairman Emeritus, Dr. Tunji Funsho, recently engaged with the World Health Organization (WHO) in high-level discussions on strategies to tackle circulating Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2).
The meeting served as an important platform to reflect on best practices from Nigeria’s successful battle against wild poliovirus, a milestone that culminated in Africa being certified polio-free in 2020. Rotary, alongside global partners, played a crucial role in reaching this historic achievement through grassroots mobilization, funding immunization campaigns, and building community trust.
However, the fight is not over. Despite eradicating wild poliovirus, Nigeria and other countries still face challenges with cVDPV2, a strain that emerges in under-immunized communities. This underscores the need to sustain high immunization coverage, strengthen surveillance systems, and continue intensive community engagement.
During the engagement, Rotary leaders and WHO emphasized the importance of, Leveraging lessons learned from the wild poliovirus eradication campaign, especially in surveillance and community mobilization. Enhancing advocacy to encourage political will and sustained funding for vaccination activities. Strengthening partnerships at local and global levels to ensure rapid response to outbreaks. Building trust within communities to reduce non-compliance and increase vaccine acceptance.
The discussions highlighted a clear message: the strategies that worked in ending wild polio must now be adapted and scaled to stop cVDPV2 transmission once and for all.
Rotary’s leadership, coupled with WHO’s technical expertise, continues to be a beacon of hope in the global fight against polio. Together, they are ensuring that Nigeria not only maintains its polio-free status but also leads the way in ending every last strain of the virus.