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November 13, 2002
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"Over 140 Polio Cases Found in Nigeria"
Xinhua News Agency (202.84.17.11/en/main.htm) (11/12/02)
The northern part of Nigeria has over 140 confirmed cases of wild polio. According to Steve Okokwu, the assistant project officer in charge of the Expanded Program on Immunization at UNICEF, socio-cultural beliefs, low motivation of health workers, and difficulties with vaccine distribution are major obstacles for the polio eradication program in Nigeria. The goal for complete eradication of polio from the world is 2005, but the World Health Organization (WHO) will only certify a country free of polio if there are no wild polio transmissions for three consecutive years. Five countries accounted for 85 percent of new polio cases in 2001: Nigeria, Niger, Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan.
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