Nigeria is one step away from achieving the goal of eradicating polio virus in 2017 as it has been one year since the last case of polio was reported in the country.
The last case of polio in the country was reported exactly a year on Friday, July 23, in a 16 months old boy from Sumaila Local Government Area in Kano State.
Should all pending laboratory investigations return negative in the next few weeks, Nigeria will officially be taken off the list of polio-endemic countries.
However, the country will only be certified polio free by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2017,if it maintains its zero case status, further strengthens its surveillance system, improves routine immunisation and maintains high quality campaigns.
If this progress is sustained with no re-infection and surveillance remains strong, Nigeria and the rest of Africa will achieve polio eradication by 2017. Government and partners reiterate that it’s going to take a lot of hard work.
