What’s Preventing Nigeria From Becoming Polio-free?

Muhammad Pate, the former Nigerian Minister of State for Health who now teaches at Duke, explores key factors that have impeded progress for polio eradication in Nigeria in a new study featured in The Lancet Global Health.

Despite major investments to eradicate polio in Nigeria over the past several decades, Pate and his colleagues find that polio has persisted in the country for three fundamental reasons. First, vaccine effectiveness is lower in northern states of Nigeria compared to southern states. Second, coverage and population immunity remain too low to interrupt wild poliovirus transmission. Third, child immunizations are lower than they should be largely due to refusal and being unaware of vaccine availability and importance.

The eradication of polio has been declared a global emergency for public health by the 65^th World Health Assembly. In 2013, polio remained problem in only three countries – Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. A polio-free country has been Pate’s mission as Nigerian Health Minister, and he was recently profiled in Science Magazine and in this video by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.