Once upon a time, millions of children all over the world were afflicted by a crippling, incurable and fatal infectious disease known as poliomyelitis (polio). Today, the world is  heaving a sigh of relief because polio is on the verge of eradication. While experts note that ending polio will be an historic feat for humanity, and also a huge part of efforts to reach every child with a range of life-saving vaccines, one organization that has relentlessly pursued the dream of global polio eradication is Rotary International.

It has a simple strategy – prevent infection by immunizing every child until transmission stops and the world is polio-free. According to Dr Tunji Funso, Chairman, Nigeria National PolioPlus, this is a mission possible. Funso, who is also past District Governor, Rotary Nigeria, says with consistent vaccination, the world would soon be free of polio just like it did with small pox. He speaks  on  Rotary’s polio eradication drive. Excerpts:

The polio virus

Polio is a highly contagious viral infection that affects the nervous system. Children can be infected with polio when they eat or drink food and water contaminated with the virus or when they come into direct contact with an infected person’s faecal matter. The virus enters the body orally, and travels to the intestines where it multiplies. Eventually, the virus passes into the blood stream and attacks the nervous system – the spinal cord and brain. The virus damages nerve cells and can cause crippling paralysis, sometimes overnight. Generally polio affects children under three, but adults can contract it as well.

Eradication drive

Rotary International has been at the forefront spearheading concerted global efforts to eradicate polio from the world. With its over 1.2 million-member volunteers’ network base, it collaborates with various governments, partners and agencies to stem the devastating onslaughts of the polio scourge around the world. It was estimated that the deadly virus which attacks children below age five was responsible for about 350,000 deaths globally in 1998 and infects about 1,000 children daily.

The most substantial structure and alliance forged in this direction and saddled with the responsibility to coordinate total polio eradication was the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) led by Rotary International, WHO and UNICEF, and launched by the World Health Assembly in 1988 where all governments of the world made commitments to work towards total eradication of polio. The initiative was inspired by Rotary International’s 1985 pledge to raise $120 million toward immunising all of the world’s children against the disease. Rotary set out to raise $120 million but raised $240 million.

*Nigeria will have to reach every last child to be able to stop the transmission of the wild polio virus. Photo: Courtesy UNICEF.

Essence of eradication

The whole world cannot afford to be idle about the polio virus because it has come so far and must strive to win the war completely. We are 99 per cent on our way to eradicating polio but, as every long distance runner knows, it is that last mile that is most difficult and requires bringing out not only physical resources but mental as well.

Failure to eradicate polio from these last remaining strongholds could result in as many as 200, 000 new cases every year, within 10 years, all over the world. This is why the World Polio Day is so designated to focus on the polio disease. In previous years, WPV has spread from polio-endemic countries to neighbouring countries and sometimes beyond. 12 previously polio-free countries had WPV circulation in 2011.

Global progress

Of the three polio viruses WPV1, WPV2 and WPV3,  only WPV1 still exists. The other two have been eradicated. WPV 3 has ceased to exist anywhere in the world since November 2012. Today, only three countries are polio endemic,  Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan, a significant shift from the 125 endemic countries in 1998, and 223 reported cases in 2012.

As at October 2013 just about one case of infection is recorded in two days on the average and more than 100 countries have stopped transmission. The progress made so far was possible due to the relentless efforts of Rotary International in driving the largest public private partnership in history by advocacy using its over 1.2 million-member volunteers around the world. While we advocate, raise funds and actively participate in immunizing children, our partners the governments of the world, WHO, UNICEF, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have been providing financial, technical and human resources to get the job done.

Nigerian situation

As of October 4, 2013, there were 49 cases of confirmed Wild Polio Virus in nine states compared to 101 cases in 11 states same period 2012.  A total of 122 WPV cases (103 WPV1 and 19 WPV3) were reported in 2012 – a 97 percent increase from 62 cases (47 WPV1 and 15 WPV3) reported in 2011. As at October 4, 2013, Nigeria had only one confirmed circulating vaccine derived poliovirus (cVDPV2) in one state compared to five cases in two states same period in 2012.  There has been a remarkable progress.

World Polio Day

Though the impact of the joint efforts (GPEI) is quite substantial and has been pegged at 99 per cent success rate, children would only be free when polio has been totally eradicated from the world like the small pox. In view of this, October 24, globally earmarked as the World Polio Day continues to serve as a veritable tool in drawing attention to this all important issue across the world and reminding all of the commitments and dire need to rid the world of polio.

Global commemoration

Rotary is passionate and committed to the annual programme which serves as a good platform to generate interest and increase awareness towards total eradication of polio.. Currently, Nigeria requires one billion doses of the oral polio vaccine annually and NNPC is striving to raise $500million for the total eradication of polio in Nigeria alone. We are working with various partners this year, we are therefore partnering Cycology, a foremost cycling club in Lagos to remind everyone of this important issue and also strive to raise $500million funds to support Rotary’s global efforts in this direction.

Rotary Bike-A-Thon

As part of activities to mark this year’s edition, Rotary, on October 19, organized a charity cycling event tagged Rotary Bike-a-Thon to highlight the strategic importance of raising awareness level, collaboration and embracing the oral vaccinations to aid complete eradication of the virus in Nigeria and globally. It was to remind all and people in the southern part of the country that polio is still with us and we need to get the job of polio eradication done by working to end polio now.

The event tagged the “ThisClose campaign” featured registered and well kitted riders including Rotary Club members, Cycology Riding Club members and others in a 5km, 10km and 50km exhibition ride. Star actress Funke Akindele was appointed by Rotary in Nigeria to join other notable global Rotary polio icons, Bill Gates, Desmond Tutu, Isabella Fontana, Donnie Yen, Jackie Chan, Dan Maraya, Sani Dana  and many others in creating awareness for polio in a fun and practical way. Akindele would also be spearheading the grassroots enlightenment outreach in the rural areas.

Challenges

It was Rotary international coming from the experience of successful immunization campaigns in the Philippines who in the early 80s proposed to the World Health Organization (WHO) to consider a programme to eradicate polio from the world. Hitherto the strategy was just to protect children from getting polio by giving routine immunization. The end game strategy for polio eradication requires that we continue to keep our eyes on the ball.

Tremendous progress has been made in the high risk states in the north but we court disaster if we do not ensure all children in Nigeria are immunized against polio otherwise even most of the southern states that have been polio free for a few years now can see a re-emergence of polio with catastrophic consequences. Everyone needs to join hands with others as polio free areas stand a great risk of infection as long as there are still cases of infection in any other location. The recent outbreaks in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Sudan which have been polio free for some years are quite instructive in this regard. For as long as polio exist anywhere in the world no child is free from polio no matter where they live.

End of polio

America still continues to immunize its children against polio though it has been polio free for about 40 years. I urge every Nigerian parent and guardian to embrace immunization as it is very safe and necessary to fortify children against polio.

Let parents, guardians and care givers continue to take their children for immunization until polio is eradicated from the world.