The World Health Organisation (WHO) says 51 new cases of circulating variant poliovirus (cVPV2) have been recorded in Nigeria from January to August 2023.
Walter Mulombo, the WHO country representative in Nigeria, who spoke in Kaduna on Thursday, said 47 of the 51 cases were recorded in the north-west. The retreat was organised by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) for traditional leaders of inaccessible communities, in collaboration with the Sultan Foundation. Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. The disease invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis within hours.
The virus is transmitted from person to person mainly through the faecal-oral route or, less frequently, through contaminated water or food, and multiplies in the intestine. While there is no cure for polio, the disease can be prevented through the administration of a simple and effective vaccine.
