The World Health Organization on Thursday, applauded the Rotary International’s new financing pledge to support Nigeria’s efforts to eradicate all kinds of polioviruses, particularly Circulating Variant Poliovirus (cVPV2).
Vanguard reported that the new award, totaling $14, 037, 787, would allow WHO to give technical assistance to the Nigerian government on polio surveillance in order to prevent the reappearance of wild polio and eradicate CVPVD2, which remains an issue in the country.
While Nigeria was certified as wild polio-free in August 2020, the country is still dealing with the existence of the cVPV2.
In response to the development, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, stated, “The bigger picture is that you support surveillance, you strengthen the ability of this country to anticipate, investigate, and respond to other infectious diseases that could threaten our national and global security.
“We guarantee you that the resources would be used to improve health security in Nigeria.”
At its January 2023 meeting, the Rotary Foundation Trustees authorized a $2,675,000 donation to promote polio eradication in Nigeria through WHO Nigeria for surveillance.
Trustees dated October 2023 for WHO surveillance, and ultimately, on 10 January 2024, another grant was approved in the amount of US$ 6, 848, 002 for technical assistance.
The Minister stated that all of these funds are for one year and must be used efficiently and fully between March 31, 2024, and March 31, 2025.
Rotary International’s proposal to immunize all children worldwide against polio in 1985 resulted in the formation of the Global Polio Eradication Program, which remains Rotary’s top programmatic focus.
The WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, stated that Rotary International continues to be a key partner and founding leader in GPEI activities around the world.
Through solid cooperation, the Nigerian government and its partners, including WHO, have maintained the “Zero Wild Polio” status in Nigeria, where it was last identified in 2016.
Dr Mulombo added that “Enormous efforts have been made to contain the CVPVD2 variant strain; yet, poliovirus monitoring data has showed that the virus is still circulating in some states in the North West zone.
“WHO will collaborate closely with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and state governments, particularly in the north-west and high-risk states, as recommended by the 40th Executive Review Committee, to complete the project by the end of the year,” he said.
Rotary has donated more than US$ 1.5 billion to the eradication of polio, including over US$ 500 million in funding to assist polio eradication initiatives in Nigeria over the last 10 years, as well as countless volunteer hours by Nigerian Rotary and Rotaract Club members.
WHO, an implementing partner for the polio funding, will deploy the resources to eradicate polio, support polio surveillance activities across the country and strengthen health systems so they are better able to respond to emerging health threats.
