Nigeria Declares Two New Polio Cases
Jigawa State has reported two new cases of polio in Hadejia and Suletankarkar Local Government Areas, five years after Nigeria was declared polio-free.
Recall that the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in 2020 declared Nigeria free of the wild poliovirus.
The new cases have raised concerns about the country’s progress in eradicating the disease.
UNICEF, during a media dialogue on polio and routine immunization in Dutse, the state capital, said 18 cases of polio have been recorded across nine states and 18 local government areas in Nigeria in 2025 alone.
Speaking on behalf of UNICEF Kano Field Office Chief, Mr. Rahama Rihood Farah, the agency’s Health Manager, Dr. Serekeberehan Seyoum Deres, expressed concern over the resurgence, warning that polio could lead to lifelong paralysis or even death in children if not quickly addressed.
“In 2025 alone, 18 cases of polio have been recorded across nine states and 18 local government areas in Nigeria, including Hadejia and Suletankarkar LGAs of Jigawa. This is unacceptable.
“Polio knows no boundaries and spreads quickly. An outbreak in one region puts children everywhere at risk,” Dr. Deres stated.
Deres highlighted the significant global progress against polio, with over 3 billion people vaccinated since 1988, saving an estimated 154 million lives in the last 50 years.
He, however, noted that low routine immunization coverage in countries like Nigeria poses a threat to this progress, underscoring the need for sustained efforts to protect vulnerable populations.
In response to the outbreak, the Jigawa State Government stated that it has launched a statewide immunization campaign, aiming to immunize 1.9 million children with over 2 million doses of vaccines.
The Executive Secretary of Jigawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (PHCDA), Dr. Shehu Sambo, represented by Dr. Hassan Shu’aibu Kwalam, announced the launch stating it will start on Wednesday, April 24, 2025, and last for six days.
“The success of this campaign will depend on community cooperation, accurate information, and sustained commitment from all levels of government,” Shehu stated.
UNICEF called on the state government to declare a State of Emergency on Polio and Routine Immunization, release counterpart funding, and ensure all 27 local government chairmen make similar commitments.
The agency emphasised the need for community cooperation, accurate information, and sustained commitment from all levels of government to achieve success in the campaign.
Nigeria Declares Two New Polio Cases is first published on The Whistler Newspaper