Sokoto struggles with “overwhelming” polio vaccine rejection

Sokoto state is facing a renewed challenge in its fight against polio. A recent immunization campaign saw a “high number of non-compliance cases,” raising concerns and prompting a meeting with local leaders.

The Sokoto State Primary Healthcare Development Agency and the UNICEF engaged traditional rulers, council chairmen and other local officials on Friday on how to address vaccine rejection.

Speaking during the meeting, Ogu Enemaku, UNICEF’s social and behavioural change specialist, said the meeting was a follow-up to a four-day immunisation campaign against poliomyelitis in the state.

Mr Enemaku said the exercise recorded a high level of non-compliance across the state. He said the level of vaccine rejection attracted the attention of the state governor, Ahmad Aliyu, who directed immediate steps be taken to remedy the situation.

“The escalated figure of rejection reached governor’s office and he directed for immediate action as immunization is the right to children,” Mr Enemaku said.

Hauwa Buhari, the SBC team leader in Sokoto, said most of the non-compliance cases were recorded in the metropolitan local government areas comprising Sokoto North, Sokoto South, Wamakko and Bodinga with few outside.

Nigeria and Sokoto

Nigeria was declared free of wild polio in 2020, but the transmission of the circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVPV2) strain of the paralysing disease remains a concern in the country. Nigeria notified 1028 cases in 2021, and a further 170 cases in 2022, according to World Health Organization.

Sokoto, in northwest Nigeria, recorded 61 cases of Poliovirus Type 2 (CVDPV2), which experts blamed on the failure of parents to avail their wards for immunisation and security challenges affecting the state.

This was disclosed by the director of disease control at the Sokoto Primary Health Care Development Agency, Bilyaminu Sifawa.

“Overwhelming rejections”

In his lecture, Nuruddeen Aliyu, the state team lead of CDC-AFENET, said an infected person can spread the polio virus to 200 children, and action needs to be taken.

Mr Aliyu said based on the outcome of the exercise, the scale of vaccine rejection across local government areas was “overwhelming.”

The campaign was launched by the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, who urged communities to sustain commitments against all child killer diseases to save lives.