Nigeria intensifies polio fight with targeted vaccination strategy

NIGERIA—Nigeria has stepped up its battle against the circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cVPV2) by implementing the Targeted Local Outbreak Response (TLR) strategy.

This initiative, spearheaded by the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), aims to bridge immunity gaps and curb the virus’s spread.

The strategy zeroes in on high-risk areas, focusing on vaccinating all vulnerable children to halt the transmission of cVPV2.

Despite significant vaccination efforts, cVPV2 continues to pose a national challenge.

From January 2024 to March 10, 2025, Nigeria reported 122 confirmed cases in 15 states, including 10 cases in 2025 alone.

To combat this, a recent four-day vaccination campaign targeted 3.8 million children across seven high-burden states: Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara.

By the end of the campaign, over 3.6 million children had received the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2).

However, challenges such as caregiver noncompliance and children being absent during vaccination rounds meant that some children were missed.

Dr. Abdulkadir Usman Gana, NEOC Incident Manager, recognized these gaps and stressed the necessity of enhancing social mobilization and refining strategies to tackle vaccine hesitancy.

He reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring no child is left unvaccinated in the fight against cVPV2.

The WHO-coordinated NEOC operations working group plays a vital role in planning and monitoring TLR campaigns.

They use a data-driven approach to analyze surveillance data, routine immunization records, and lab results to determine response parameters.

This includes assessing pending cVPV2 isolates in local government areas (LGAs), gauging population immunity levels through surveys, and evaluating vaccine availability and logistical needs.

Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, WHO Country Representative, commended the TLR strategy for its rapid-response capability and high-quality execution.

He emphasized that this approach gives Nigeria a critical chance to combat cVPV2 effectively, even in the face of funding challenges.

WHO has significantly supported campaign implementation by training over 18,727 health workers, coordinating daily operations, and deploying more than 6,000 personnel across various administrative layers.

Community engagement has been crucial in this effort. Field volunteers, such as Zayyanu Adamu in Kebbi State, have worked hand-in-hand with local leaders to resolve issues of noncompliance and raise awareness about the benefits of vaccination.

Additionally, WHO conducted Lot Quality Assurance Surveys (LQAS) to verify campaign coverage.

Independent assessors evaluated vaccination status in randomly selected households across LGAs, revealing that 97% of surveyed areas achieved over 90% coverage.

Looking ahead, Nigeria plans to start another TLR phase on March 12, 2025, with the aim of reaching nearly one million children across five states: Jigawa, Oyo, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara.

While challenges such as vaccine hesitancy and logistical hurdles remain, the collaborative efforts among NPHCDA, NEOC, WHO, and local communities underscore Nigeria’s unwavering determination to safeguard every child from the polio virus.

With ongoing innovation and global support, Nigeria is steadily moving towards a polio-free future.

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