Abuja, 27 February, 2025 – The World Health Organization (WHO) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s government in strengthening Primary Health Care (PHC) and addressing health system issues by implementing innovative initiatives. This commitment aligns with the country’s goal to eliminate all types of polioviruses by the end of 2025.
WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, said at the recently concluded First Quarter Review Meeting of the Northern Traditional Leaders Committee (NTLC) on PHC Delivery in Abuja.
Earlier in his opening remark, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate, had appreciated the council’s tenacity in mobilizing their communities and overseeing polio vaccination campaigns towards eradication of the disease in the country.
An urgent clarion callProfessor Pate urged the traditional leaders not to rest on their oars. He emphasized the urgent need to eliminate the circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cVPV2) transmission in the country by December 2025.
Professor Pate called on the traditional leaders to double their efforts by leveraging their influence to strengthen community trust and participation in immunization efforts.
“This council has remained the most steadfast primary healthcare structure in Nigeria, Africa, and possibly the world. For 16 consecutive years, you have convened quarterly meetings without fail.
Delivering his goodwill message, Dr Mulombo also set the tone with a call to action, lauding the Nigerian government’s and traditional leaders’ unwavering commitment and underscoring their critical role in championing the fight against polio in Nigeria.
“While 2024 has been a challenging year for Nigeria’s polio program, we have the opportunity to turn things around, and now is the best time to act urgently and decisively to end cVPV2 in the country. WHO is committed to supporting Nigeria in addressing the challenges, even in the face of geopolitical complexities”, said Dr Mulombo.
The Country Representative also pledged WHO’s support in fast-tracking the accreditation of the Ibadan polio laboratory while announcing that the laboratory is fully accredited to conduct polio sequencing.
The polio laboratory in Ibadan, established in 1993, is one of the iconic polio laboratories in Nigeria that can detect, identify, and promptly report wild polioviruses (WPV), cVPVD2, as well as other enteroviruses that may be present in clinical and environmental specimens.
Tackling Challenges with Renewed CommitmentDespite the progress made, Nigeria is still reporting cases of cVPVD2.
Dr Muyi Aina, Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), pointed out some of the challenges deterring the nation from achieving its polio eradication goal said, “For too long, we have struggled with issues like noncompliance, vaccine hesitancy, missed children, security concerns, inadequate routine immunization coverage, data falsification and malnutrition.
We need to push beyond our limitations and ensure that no child is left unvaccinated. We need the support of the NTLC members, as community engagement is key to achieving success. We must rewrite the story this year,” said Dr Muyi.
Traditional Leaders Vow to Strengthen EffortsIn his remark, Alhaji Sama’ila Muhammad Mera, the Emir of Argungu, who double as the NTLC chair, expressed gratitude to the government and partners for their continued support. The Emir called on his fellow traditional leaders to collaborate with religious figures and community influencers to drive vaccination demand.
Raising concerns over the suboptimal performance of routine immunization in the country’s North Central and North West geopolitical regions in 2024, he said, “The time has come for us to end polio once and for all. Every unvaccinated child is a risk to all children in our communities. We must strengthen newborn and defaulter tracking systems to ensure every child receives the necessary vaccines. We must play an active role in planning and supervising immunization sessions,” the Emir urged.
The Emir welcomed the strategic shifts introduced by the government, including increased accountability, localized advocacy, improved data integration, and synchronized campaign efforts.
A Unified Effort to End PolioThe NTLC’s quarterly meetings serve as a vital platform for reviewing progress and tackling challenges in polio eradication, routine immunization, maternal and child health, and primary healthcare service delivery.
The latest gathering featured presentations on the state of Nigeria’s polio program, updates on routine immunization, maternal and newborn health, and the introduction of the rubella vaccine. Participants also discussed previous meeting resolutions, with various partners delivering goodwill messages.
