BY CHIOMA OBINNA

When Ahmed Mohammed was born into the family of Mr. & Mrs. Sekinat Mohammed, their joy knew no bound as their hope of getting their own offspring was finally fulfilled,after 15 years of marriage. Joseph was the apple of his parent’s eyes.

Six weeks after delivery, Mrs. Sekinat never returned to the hospital for any reason including immunisation. According to her, there was no need going back to the clinic since the child was not sick. Things were all going well until Ahmed became two years. Sekinat, apparently because of the alleged story at that time, that polio vaccines, particularly was not safe for children, never allowed vaccinators to vaccinate Ahmed each time the vaccinators called at their residence during rounds of polio immunisation. Rather, she would tactically send them away. Unfortunately, she had no inclination that her action may one day cut her joy short.

One morning, she discovered that Ahmed was running temperature. She quickly rushed and gave him paracetamol. A day later, the fever became worse, Ahmed was further bombarded with sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Just like any other mother, Sekinat became worried when the temperature suddenly worsens. It was at this point, that Sekinat was forced to take him to a nearby health centre where a few tests were carried out on him. Few hours later, doctors announced that Ahmed was down with polio. The news sent shivers down her parents’ spine such that they instantly concluded that the end had come. From that time, Ahmed who had started walking before the attack became paralysed.

Ahmed story is one out of the thousands of children being paralysed on daily basis as a result of polio, a paralytic disease that can be prevented through rountine immunisation, specifically, with Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV). Unfortunately, many parents had failed to immunise their children with OPV, apparently due to the wrong message that the vaccine could cause infertility in the child.

A striking feature in Ahmed’s story is the role of immunisation in eradicating polio as well as ensuring child survival. Just like Ahmed, polio, also known as infantile paralysis, has left thousands of children paralysed even dead.

According to experts, the danger of the paralytic condition is that ,as long as a single child remains infected, children in all countries are at risk of contracting polio.

But the cheering news today, is that Nigeria has not recorded a case of polio since this year courtesy of the renewed efforts by governments and other partners in the fight against polio.

In the views of the Executive Secretary of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency,(NPHCDA), Dr. Muhammed Ali-Pate, the efforts has increased the country’s immunisation coverage by 90 percent.

According to him, the progress made by the country in polio eradication through effective use of oral polio vaccines would be translated in other vaccine preventable diseases like measles etc.

In a satellite chat with health reporters in Lagos, Pate, who was in India as part of a special team from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) to monitor progress in that country, reiterated that the Federal Government is committed to eradicating polio and has made special provision in the 2011 budget to take care of polio, routine immunisation and introduction of new vaccines for pneumonia, meningitis and diarrhoea into the national immunisation programme.

Reacting to the webcast by Bill Gates earlier, he hinted that 50 million children between zero age and five years were reached with polio vaccination during the Integrated Measles and Polio Campaign; and 31 million children aged from nine months to 59 months for measles.

His words, “Among the four countries that have not been able to stop the transmission of the wild polio virus – Nigeria, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan – have made the most significant progress. We have not reported any polio case in 2011. We have increased coverage for polio and routine immunisation by 70 to 90 per cent and 50 per cent respectively. Nigeria can win the fight against childhood killer diseases as many other countries have done. We have the tools and the know-how. Combined with political will and leadership, Nigerian children can claim their right to grow up healthy.”

He further noted that vaccines were very cost effective ways to stop diseases compared to the cost of treating children when they are ill, stating that acceptance of the vaccine have improved in the last three years where the vaccines were initially rejected.

Bill Gates commendation today is a big encouragement for us but we will not rest on our oars,” he said.

At a live webcast of the third annual letter of the foundation entitled, “Polio Eradication, the power of vaccines: The Nigerian and Indian example” in New York, Gates lauded Nigeria’s efforts in polio eradication but warned that “It is a terrible thing and that is why getting to zero is so important.”

Pointing out the power of vaccines in the eradication of polio, he explained that due to the global childhood immunisation campaign, polio has been reduced to 99 per cent, and is on the threshold of becoming only the second disease ever eradicated. To achieve total eradication of the disease, Gates called on governments to provide the needed funds and vaccines during national immunisation programmes. “We need to continue to raise funds. Let’s pave the way for a future in which children, no matter where they live, are not at risk of polio.”

When Ahmed Mohammed was born into the family of Mr. & Mrs. Sekinat Mohammed, their joy knew no bound as their hope of getting their own offspring was finally fulfilled,after 15 years of marriage. Joseph was the apple of his parent’s eyes.

Six weeks after delivery, Mrs. Sekinat never returned to the hospital for any reason including immunisation. According to her, there was no need going back to the clinic since the child was not sick. Things were all going well until Ahmed became two years. Sekinat, apparently because of the alleged story at that time, that polio vaccines, particularly was not safe for children, never allowed vaccinators to vaccinate Ahmed each time the vaccinators called at their residence during rounds of polio immunisation. Rather, she would tactically send them away. Unfortunately, she had no inclination that her action may one day cut her joy short.

One morning, she discovered that Ahmed was running temperature. She quickly rushed and gave him paracetamol. A day later, the fever became worse, Ahmed was further bombarded with sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Just like any other mother, Sekinat became worried when the temperature suddenly worsens. It was at this point, that Sekinat was forced to take him to a nearby health centre where a few tests were carried out on him. Few hours later, doctors announced that Ahmed was down with polio. The news sent shivers down her parents’ spine such that they instantly concluded that the end had come. From that time, Ahmed who had started walking before the attack became paralysed.

Ahmed story is one out of the thousands of children being paralysed on daily basis as a result of polio, a paralytic disease that can be prevented through rountine immunisation, specifically, with Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV). Unfortunately, many parents had failed to immunise their children with OPV, apparently due to the wrong message that the vaccine could cause infertility in the child.

A striking feature in Ahmed’s story is the role of immunisation in eradicating polio as well as ensuring child survival. Just like Ahmed, polio, also known as infantile paralysis, has left thousands of children paralysed even dead.

According to experts, the danger of the paralytic condition is that ,as long as a single child remains infected, children in all countries are at risk of contracting polio.

But the cheering news today, is that Nigeria has not recorded a case of polio since this year courtesy of the renewed efforts by governments and other partners in the fight against polio.

In the views of the Executive Secretary of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency,(NPHCDA), Dr. Muhammed Ali-Pate, the efforts has increased the country’s immunisation coverage by 90 percent.

According to him, the progress made by the country in polio eradication through effective use of oral polio vaccines would be translated in other vaccine preventable diseases like measles etc.

In a satellite chat with health reporters in Lagos, Pate, who was in India as part of a special team from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) to monitor progress in that country, reiterated that the Federal Government is committed to eradicating polio and has made special provision in the 2011 budget to take care of polio, routine immunisation and introduction of new vaccines for pneumonia, meningitis and diarrhoea into the national immunisation programme.

Reacting to the webcast by Bill Gates earlier, he hinted that 50 million children between zero age and five years were reached with polio vaccination during the Integrated Measles and Polio Campaign; and 31 million children aged from nine months to 59 months for measles.

His words, “Among the four countries that have not been able to stop the transmission of the wild polio virus – Nigeria, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan – have made the most significant progress. We have not reported any polio case in 2011. We have increased coverage for polio and routine immunisation by 70 to 90 per cent and 50 per cent respectively. Nigeria can win the fight against childhood killer diseases as many other countries have done. We have the tools and the know-how. Combined with political will and leadership, Nigerian children can claim their right to grow up healthy.”

He further noted that vaccines were very cost effective ways to stop diseases compared to the cost of treating children when they are ill, stating that acceptance of the vaccine have improved in the last three years where the vaccines were initially rejected.

Bill Gates commendation today is a big encouragement for us but we will not rest on our oars,” he said.

At a live webcast of the third annual letter of the foundation entitled, “Polio Eradication, the power of vaccines: The Nigerian and Indian example” in New York, Gates lauded Nigeria’s efforts in polio eradication but warned that “It is a terrible thing and that is why getting to zero is so important.”

Pointing out the power of vaccines in the eradication of polio, he explained that due to the global childhood immunisation campaign, polio has been reduced to 99 per cent, and is on the threshold of becoming only the second disease ever eradicated. To achieve total eradication of the disease, Gates called on governments to provide the needed funds and vaccines during national immunisation programmes. “We need to continue to raise funds. Let’s pave the way for a future in which children, no matter where they live, are not at risk of polio.”