- The Nigerian government today reports that the all Nigerian states now have accepted the polio immunisation campaign after some northern Nigerian states earlier had rejected the vaccine. The immunisation pause had caused polio to be reintroduced in nine African countries, from Burkina Faso to Botswana.
- Polio vaccine, which was a few months ago rejected by some people in some parts of the country, for the immunisation of children between the ages of 0-5, has now been accepted by everybody in the country, the federal government of Nigeria said in a statement released today.
According to the statement, "feedback reports from all Federal Information Centres in the 36 States and Abuja have confirmed general acceptance of the vaccine in all parts of Northern and Southern Nigeria." Until February this year, three northern Nigerian states were rejecting the vaccine. Since then, only Zamfara state has hindered the global immunisation effort.
Religious and traditional leaders in Kano and Zamfara states of northern Nigeria last year stopped the UN's polio vaccination campaign, claiming that the polio vaccine was unsafe and a US plot to spread AIDS and infertility among Muslims. These were also the two areas with Africa's highest prevalence of polio, a disease which was on the brink of extermination in Africa.
Since the halt in the large-scale internationally financed polio immunisation campaign, the paralysing disease rapidly has spread to eight countries in Western Africa that previously had managed to exterminate polio. As Nigerian polio stroke far-away Botswana in April, African pressure on Nigeria to go with immunisation hardened.
According to the Nigerian federal government, there have been strong efforts to gain confidence for the vaccine. Nigeria's First Lady, Stella Obasanjo, recently toured many states to ensure that the final phase of the immunisation programme was successfully carried out.
Reports received by the federal government had also indicated "efforts of some reputable emirs in the north, who led the campaign to encourage all their subjects to immunise their children." North Nigeria's emirs are traditional leader with religious authority.
Further, according to the Nigerian press release, many state governors and their wives had invested great effort towards making the polio vaccines acceptable in their states. "Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Ahmed Sani, brought out his children for immunisation during the last phase of the immunisation exercise," the statement noted.
- It is hoped that with the general acceptance of the polio vaccine all over the country, polio will definitely be kicked out of the country next year, the federal government of Nigeria concluded.
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.
front page
| news
| countries
| archive
| currencies
| news alerts login
| about afrol News
| contact
| advertise
| español