Yobe State has confirmed four new cases of polio across three Local Government Areas (LGAs), ending its three-year streak of being polio-free.
This announcement raises concerns as the state was declared free of the disease by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2020.
The state government has not specified whether the newly identified virus is the original poliovirus or the vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2), which can emerge in vaccinated populations.
Despite Nigeria’s efforts, the country has seen significant numbers of vaccine-derived polio cases, reporting 1,028 in 2021 and 170 in 2022.
At a campaign launch in Machina, a border LGA with Niger Republic, the Executive Secretary of the Yobe State Primary Healthcare Board, Babagana Kundi-Machina, expressed concern over the outbreak. “It is unfortunate that after three years of being certified polio-free, we have recorded a circulating poliovirus outbreak in Bursari, Machina, and Yusufari LGAs,” he stated.
In response, the state government, in collaboration with partners, has initiated a statewide vaccination campaign.
State Coordinator of WHO, Hamisu Alhassan, noted the organisation’s commitment to assist Yobe in controlling the outbreak.
He urged the public to adopt preventive measures: “Immunization is crucial for boosting immunity, especially among women and children.”
Emir of Machina, Bashir Machinama, called on residents to support the vaccination efforts. “We must work together to eliminate this disease,” he urged.
