Health
116m African Children for Polio Immunisation Next Week
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
More than 190,000 polio vaccinators in 13 countries across west and central Africa will immunize more than 116 million children over the next week, to tackle the last remaining stronghold of polio on the continent.
The synchronized vaccination campaign, one of the largest of its kind ever implemented in Africa, is part of urgent measures to permanently stop polio on the continent.
All children under five years of age in the 13 countries – Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Sierra Leone – will be simultaneously immunized in a coordinated effort to raise childhood immunity to polio across the continent. In August 2016, four children were paralysed by the disease in security-compromised areas in Borno state, north-eastern Nigeria, widely considered to be the only place on the continent where the virus maintains its grip.
“Twenty years ago, Nelson Mandela launched the pan-African ‘Kick Polio Out of Africa’ campaign,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “At that time, every single country on the continent was endemic to polio, and every year, more than 75 000 children were paralysed for life by this terrible disease. Thanks to the dedication of governments, communities, parents and health workers, this disease is now beaten back to this final reservoir.”
Dr Moeti cautioned, however, that progress was fragile, given the epidemic-prone nature of the virus. Although confined to a comparatively small region of the continent, experts warned that the virus could easily spread to under-protected areas of neighbouring countries. That is why regional public health ministers from five Lake Chad Basin countries – Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Niger and Nigeria – declared the outbreak a regional public health emergency and have committed to multiple synchronized immunization campaigns.
UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Ms Marie-Pierre Poirier, stated that with the strong commitment of Africa’s leaders, there was confidence that this last remaining polio reservoir could be wiped out, hereby protecting all future generations of African children from the crippling effects of this disease once and for all. “Polio eradication will be an unparalleled victory, which will not only save all future generations of children from the grip of a disease that is entirely preventable – but will show the world what Africa can do when it unites behind a common goal.”
To stop the potentially dangerous spread of the disease as soon as possible, volunteers will deliver bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV) to every house across all cities, towns and villages of the 13 countries. To succeed, this army of volunteers and health workers will work up to 12 hours per day, travelling on foot or bicycle, in often stifling humidity and temperatures in excess of 40°C. Each vaccination team will carry the vaccine in special carrier bags, filled with ice packs to ensure the vaccine remains below the required 8°C.
“This extraordinary coordinated response is precisely what is needed to stop this polio outbreak,” said Michael K McGovern, Chair of Rotary’s International PolioPlus Committee. “Every aspect of civil society in these African countries is coming together, every community, every parent and every community leader, to achieve one common goal: to protect their children from life-long paralysis caused by this deadly disease.”
The full engagement of political and community leaders at every level – right down to the district – is considered critical to the success of the campaign. It is only through the full participation of this leadership that all sectors of civil society are mobilized to ensure every child is reached.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has suspended its planned nationwide indefinite strike, granting the federal government a two-week ultimatum to address lingering welfare issues affecting resident doctors across the country.
The decision was taken after an emergency meeting of the association’s National Executive Council on Tuesday, where members reviewed assurances from government representatives and resolved to give dialogue another chance.
NARD said the suspension was informed by “progress made” in negotiations, particularly commitments on the prompt payment of salary arrears, hazard allowances, and steps toward resolving issues surrounding the Medical Residency Training Fund.
The association did not declare a full resolution of the dispute. It noted that the government had shown “renewed willingness” to address the concerns that triggered the strike threat.
The association noted that while these engagements signalled a willingness by the government to resolve the dispute, several critical issues remain outstanding, particularly the delayed payment of promotion arrears, salary arrears, the 2026 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), and the backlog of 19 months’ professional allowance arrears owed to resident doctors.
It also expressed concern over the Federal Government’s decision to halt the implementation of the reviewed PAT, which had earlier triggered widespread dissatisfaction among its members and raised fears of disruption to healthcare services nationwide.
Despite these unresolved issues, NARD said it opted to suspend the strike as a demonstration of goodwill and commitment to ongoing dialogue, while giving the government a two-week window to take concrete, measurable and verifiable steps to meet its demands.
The association insisted on the immediate reversal of the decision affecting the PAT, payment of all outstanding arrears, prompt disbursement of the MRTF, and full settlement of the accumulated professional allowance backlog.
It warned that it would reconvene at the expiration of the ultimatum to assess the level of compliance and determine its next course of action, adding that failure by the government to meet its demands within the stipulated timeframe would result in the resumption of the suspended strike without further notice.
NARD also called on its members nationwide to remain calm, united and resolute, while urging the Federal Government to act swiftly to prevent a potential crisis in the health sector.
The association further appreciated the interventions of the Vice President and other stakeholders, expressing hope that their involvement would lead to the timely resolution of the dispute and help sustain healthcare delivery across the country.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
To expand affordable healthcare in Kenya, Swedfund has invested about $600,000 into Jacaranda Health Limited (Jacaranda Maternity) to support innovations in neonatal intensive care and strengthen Jacaranda’s ability to provide life-saving services to underserved populations.
Jacaranda Maternity provides high-quality maternal health care at more affordable pricing than typical private providers, focusing on women in Nairobi’s low- and middle-income communities.
The new funding will support the opening of new hospitals, upgrading of neonatal care, and improvements to existing facilities.
Maternal and newborn health outcomes in Kenya remain a challenge, with maternal mortality still high despite improvements in skilled birth attendance.
Public health facilities play a central role but face capacity constraints, while access to reliable, quality care varies across regions and income groups.
Private healthcare providers offering essential maternity services at accessible price points can complement public provision.
Jacaranda Maternity aims to expand its network to six hospitals to achieve financial sustainability while scaling its impact. The healthcare provider is a recognised leader in promoting women’s health, with 71 percent of its staff being women, and a track record of effective environmental and social management.
“This investment will help Jacaranda Maternity provide life-saving care to more women and families while furthering Swedfund’s mission to promote inclusive and sustainable healthcare,” a Senior Investment Manager at Swedfund, Audrey Obara, said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria will get a $350,000 intervention from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) to support its response to the ongoing outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (bird flu) and strengthen the country’s animal health systems.
An agreement was reached on Wednesday during a strategic meeting between the Minister of Livestock Development, Mr Idi Mukhtar Maiha, and the FAO Representative to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States, Mr Hussein Gadain, in Abuja.
The intervention, approved under FAO’s Technical Cooperation Programme, will support disease containment efforts in 11 affected states and enhance surveillance, coordination and response mechanisms to prevent further spread of the disease.
Speaking during the meeting, Maiha said effective disease control remains critical to improving livestock productivity and protecting the livelihoods of farmers across the country.
He explained that factors such as drought, scarcity of feed, interaction between livestock and wildlife, as well as cross-border movement of animals have contributed to the spread of diseases in some areas.
“We must continue to strengthen our animal health systems and build the capacity required to respond effectively to disease outbreaks. Our collaboration with FAO will help protect livestock assets, improve productivity and support the broader transformation of the sector,” the minister said.
Mr Gadain commended the federal government’s commitment to the development of the livestock sector and assured that FAO would continue to provide technical support to Nigeria.
He stressed the need to strengthen veterinary services at the state and community levels, improve early detection of diseases and promote biosecurity practices among livestock farmers.
The meeting also reviewed progress on the global campaign to eradicate Peste des Petits Ruminants, a highly contagious disease that affects sheep and goats.
To advance the initiative, the ministry plans to convene a national technical meeting involving veterinary institutions, researchers and practitioners to review Nigeria’s eradication strategy and address gaps in vaccine supply.
As part of preparations, the ministry will engage the National Veterinary Research Institute to assess its vaccine production capacity while exploring other options for vaccine procurement to meet national demand.
Both parties also agreed to accelerate Nigeria’s access to financing under the Pandemic Fund through the One Health approach in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the Federal Ministry of Health to strengthen preparedness and response to zoonotic diseases.
Plans are also underway for the Director-General of FAO to participate in the Antimicrobial Resistance Conference scheduled for June 2026 in Abuja, where President Bola Tinubu is expected to be recognised as the African Champion for the eradication of Peste des Petits Ruminants.
The meeting further agreed to inaugurate a Livestock Donor Working Group to coordinate development partner support and advance key initiatives, including the development of a national feed and fodder strategy aimed at improving productivity and sustainability in the livestock sector.
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