The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has said 83 cases of circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cVPV2) have been recorded across 14 states this year.
Dr Muyi Aina, Executive Director of the NPHCDA, stated this in Abuja during the 2024 World Polio Day commemoration.
He said of the 83 cases, 64 are Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) cases, while 19 were identified in Environmental Sites (ES). Despite a 35% reduction in cases compared to 2023, Aina acknowledged the ongoing challenge of eradicating cVPV2, a mutated virus that has been spreading since 2021.
He emphasised the success of eradicating wild poliovirus (WPV) in 2020, but noted that cVPV2 continues to pose a challenge.
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He outlined the agency’s ongoing efforts, including the identify, enumerate, and vaccinate (IEV) strategy, aimed at improving the effectiveness of the polio campaign and interrupting cVPV2 transmission.