World Bank to Help Nigeria Consolidate 95% Decline in Polio

New $60 million credit will support major immunization effort during a critical year.

WASHINGTON, March 17, 2011 – The World Bank’s Board approved today an additional credit of $60 million for Nigeria’s Partnership for Polio Eradication project. These funds will help finance polio vaccines during the coming year as well as continue to support other aspects of primary health care in the country.

A comprehensive effort against polio supported by the World Bank and other partners has contributed to a dramatic 95% reduction in polio cases from the year 2009 to 2010. However, detection of even a few new cases in 2010 means that immunization must continue to consolidate these gains.

“The few remaining cases of polio in Nigeria still represent a threat to global fight against polio, as the virus knows no borders and could still spread into more countries,” said Onno Ruhl, World Bank Country Director for Nigeria. “Building on recent gains, the time is ripe to try to wipe out the disease from Nigeria for good through continued immunization, and move a step closer to regional and global eradication.”

In 2011, with the support of the World Bank financing, over 400 million doses of oral polio vaccines will be procured for the supplemental immunization activities at national and sub-national levels and mop-up rounds. Partners’ and government financing will also cover the operational costs for these campaigns and support activities like social mobilization and capacity building. Full press release.


Related News

   19/10/2021
For a few incredible eradicators, a life’s purpose doesn’t stop at retirement
   19/10/2021
Update on polio eradication efforts in Pakistan for September 2021
   18/10/2021
WHO and UNICEF welcome the decision by the Taliban leadership supporting the resumption of house-to-house polio vaccination across Afghanistan.
   13/10/2021
Virus isolated from Rivne province in north-west of country
   10/10/2021
The recommendation further advances nOPV2 as a critical new tool in the fight against circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2)
   29/09/2021
More often than not, the road to a meaningful triumph is a bumpy one.