Rotary International has reported that polio cases in Nigeria have fallen by more than half in 2009, down to 388 cases from 783 cases in 2008. Cases due to the type 1 wild poliovirus have dropped to 74 cases from 707, with the ratio of vaccinated Nigerian children in high-risk areas rising above 90 percent for the first time in history. During the campaign’s Immunization Plus Days in October 2009, more than 30 million children were vaccinated.
Busuyi Onabolu, chair of the Rotary’s Nigeria PolioPlus Committee, has stated that the committee’s goals is to ensure that every vaccination campaign adheres to the level of quality necessary for its success, and that every Nigerian child receives the oral polio vaccine (OPV).
