‘Continuous vaccination of children is key to total eradication of polio in Nigeria’

As the world celebrated Polio Day on October 24, Rotary International was commended for its efforts towards the eradication of the disease. The organisation launched its PolioPlus programme in 1985 with mass vaccination of children.  It also went further to push for the global resolution to eradicate polio at the 1988 World Health Assembly in Geneva. 
 
A two-time President of the Rotary Club of Onigbongbo, founded in 1982, and one of the oldest clubs in District 9110 comprising Lagos and Ogun states, Rasaq Adesina Salau, seized the opportunity of the global event to speak with ISAAC TAIWO on the efforts of the club to eradicate polio in Nigeria and globally.  Salau, who is the Assistant General Manager, Lands and Estates, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), urged Nigerians to ensure that their children are immunised with the polio vaccines and to donate towards the eradication of the virus in the world.  
   
Rotary International can be regarded as one of the chief celebrants of World Polio Day. Tell us more about this global event?
The celebration is basically on how far the war against polio virus has been fought in the world and to also raise awareness on the importance of continuous polio vaccination, which would help to protect every child from the disease.  We are also celebrating parents, professionals and volunteers whose contributions have made polio eradication achievable in those countries that are polio free today. 
 
The disease Poliomyelitis popularly known as Poliovirus has ravaged our world with a lot of children under age five as victims.  The three identical types of polio, such as Wild Poliovirus Type 1 (WPV1), Type 2 (WPV2) and Type 3 (WPV3), cause irreversible paralysis or even death; they are highly infectious and could be contracted through contaminated water.  The virus, which gets into an environment through the faeces of an affected victim, attacks the nervous system, leading to paralysis.
 
The first trace of polio was through a pediatrician in London, Michael Underwood, in 1789 who published the first clear description of paralytic disease of infants in a medical textbook and it was formally recognised as a condition in 1840 by a German physician, Jakob Heine. 
 
We are celebrating because this disease that has no cure has been fought by Rotary International and its partners with preventable effective vaccines through immunisation of over two to five billion children all over the world. However, we are celebrating and still creating awareness in Nigeria because though the country was certified free of the virus in 2020, it reported 168 cases of the virus in 2022.  Aside from this, there are still two countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan, where the virus is still very endemic.
 
Therefore, a major part of our celebration is to make noise on the importance of continuous vaccination because as long as those two endemic countries are still battling with the virus with Nigeria that was certified free by the World Health Organisation (WHO) reporting 168 cases in 2022, there is no going to sleep.
Can you throw light on the involvement of Rotary International towards eradication of polio?
Globally, Rotary International, through PolioPlus, has been one of the biggest driving forces to ensure polio eradication in the world.  Without singing our praise, I believe kudos should be given to Rotary International for its bold efforts and determination towards the eradication of the virus. The journey commenced in 1985, when Rotary International created PolioPlus, a programme to immunise all the children in the world against polio. It should be noted that it was later in 1988 that the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution for Worldwide eradication of polio and launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in collaboration with national governments, World Health Organisation (WHO), Rotary International, the United States of America Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) now officially known as United Nations Children’s Fund and later joined by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
 
There was an estimation of 350,000 cases of polio in 125 countries. However, with the combined efforts, only one strain of Wild Poliovirus (Type 1) remains in circulation with Wild Polio Virus Type 2 declared eradicated in 2015 while Type 3 was declared eradicated in October 2019.
 
Further to the question on the level of involvement of Rotary International towards the eradication of polio in the world, the latter has been working assiduously for more than 35 years and has made incredible progress in the fight to rid the world of polio permanently. Rotary International has tremendously helped to reduce polio cases in the world with its contribution alone assessed to be more than 99.9 per cent. 

What method is being used today to ensure that there is total eradication of polio virus in the world?
Apparently, the global polio eradication programme relies on several strategies including ensuring high immunisation coverage, robust surveillance for the signs and symptoms of the polio and rapid response to any detection of the virus.
 
The oral vaccines are poliovirus vaccines, which are active immunising agents used to prevent poliomyelitis (polio).  It works by causing the body to produce its own protection (antibodies) against the virus that causes polio.

How much has Rotary International committed to polio eradication in terms of funding?
Rotary International has raised more than $2.6 billion with matching funds from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and countless volunteers’ hours since launching its polio eradication programme, PolioPlus, in 1985 to immunise more than three billion children in 122 countries in the world.

When can you say that the world would be free of polio?
When all countries including Afghanistan and Pakistan are certified free of polio.

What can you say about the commitment of Rotary Clubs in Nigeria towards the eradication of polio?
The sense of commitment by the four Districts in Nigeria made up of District 9110 (Lagos and Ogun states), District 9141 (South South states), District 9125 (Abuja, Northern and all the South West states) and District 9142 (South East states) with their superintending governors over the fight and eradication of polio in Nigeria cannot be undermined. Club members are tasked with contributing to the Polio Fund to fight polio, which is done with passion. Individuals also go the extra mile by funding and erecting billboards to create awareness. Rotary members in Nigeria have donated about $268 million to fight polio in Nigeria. 
 
It should also be noted that when the new cases resurfaced in 2022 after the country was declared free of the virus, not less than N35 million was donated to fight its return and club members made donations with passion.

What is your advice to Nigerians towards reclaiming the polio-free status of the country?
To stop the spread of polio, Nigerians should ensure that their environment is kept clean.  Secondly, they should ensure that their children are immunised with the polio vaccines while everyone should donate towards the eradication of the virus in the world.  

How do you access the contribution of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation towards eradication of polio?
The Foundation has been performing wonderfully in the area of polio eradication.  It has also contributed a lot to the family health programme.  Without any gainsaying, the Foundation has been very supportive and has done so much to ensure that our areas of focus, which include maternal and child health, water and sanitation, among others, are well covered.  We can only thank the Foundation for its impact on humanity.

What is the next agenda for Rotary International after polio?
After we have succeeded in total eradication of polio, Rotary International Board together with its partner, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, would look at any area having gaps concerning health and would come up with the next move.
However, the wise saying is that it is “one thing at a time.”  It is therefore after we have completely nipped in the bud everything about polio that we can channel our resources to any other desirable area of health.

What is the secret of your second tenure as a president since the tradition is one term?
I am not the first president that would serve two terms in Rotary Club of Onigbongbo.  There were two past presidents that served two terms.  That notwithstanding, I am the first president to serve two terms consecutively. There is really no secret about it.  It’s just the fact that members of the club, my elders and leaders in the club including my fellow Rotarians recognised the fact that during my first term, the good Lord helped the club to do a number of things that made it relevant to the District and brought glory to the club.  Aside from that, we have a star project that started in my first tenure which is the construction of a Primary Health Post in Irawo, Ikorodu road.  Towards the end of my first tenure, there was that need to ensure that the project was completed and the club felt that I should complete the project that I started.  That was one of the basic reasons that made the club to conclude that I should finish the laudable project that I began and I was elected for a second term.