Abuja, 25 April 2016 - The Federal government of Nigeria has officially launched the sixth edition of the African Vaccination Week (AVW) to further establish the political will on universal vaccination coverage and raise awareness on the importance of vaccination in reducing child mortality.

Speaking to over 40 journalists on 25 April, 2016 at a Press Conference to flag-off the National campaign in Abuja, the Executive Director (ED) of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Ado Muhammed observed that the theme for 2016 AVW: “Close the Immunity Gap, Stay Polio Free”, is more apt to Nigeria’s current situation having stopped the transmission of the wild polio virus for over 20 months.

It is also a celebration of the important milestone achieved by Nigeria since the World Health Organization (WHO) removed it from the list of polio endemic countries in September 2015, thereby bringing the region closer to eradication.  

While celebrating the progress achieved in the polio front, the WHO Country Representative (WR), Dr Rui Gama Vaz cautioned that “we also have to be mindful that Nigeria is not out of the woods as it needs to stay at least one and half years more without recording any case of wild polio virus before the country is certified polio-free”.

Dr Vaz bemoaned that routine immunization data indicate some states in the North and South have large cohort of unimmunized children, resulting in low population immunity and increasing the risk for disease outbreaks.

He therefore called for high level political commitment and enjoined government to sustain funding for immunization at all levels until global polio eradication is achieved and the infant mortality due to vaccine preventable diseases is significantly reduced.

Dr Vaz further requested the Federal Ministry of Health  and its agencies to scale up immunization activities at international borders to ensure that populations living in settlements across neighboring countries with Nigeria are reached with vaccines and the surveillance system is sensitive enough to detect any cases of vaccine preventable diseases to ensure rapid response to potential outbreaks. This is more critical now due high population movement in the northeastern part of Nigeria due to the security situation there.

Other level of interaction conducted to commemorate the 2016 AVW included Breakfast meeting with chief executives of partner and donor agencies as well as with stakeholders. Also, the Federal Capital Territory, Oyo and Borno states are receiving special attention to close immunity gaps during the AVW.

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For more information, please contact:

Technical contacts:

Dr Fiona Braka; Tel: +234 703 170 5252; Email:  brakaf [at] who.int
Dr Rachel Seruyange, Tel: +234 810 221 0092, Email:  seruyanger [at] who.int
Media contact:

Ms  Charity Warigon; Tel: +234 810 221 0093; Email:  warigonc [at] who.int
Ms Kulchumi Hammanyero; +234 803 632 7360; Email:  hammanyerok [at] who.int

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Below:

01 The ED of NPHCDA(right) addressing journalists on 2016 AVW while WR (3rd left) and other dignitaries listen

02 Roll-up banner on 2016 AVW by Federal Capital Territory