Nigeria apologises to neighbours for spread of polio
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《英国医生杂志》
Nigeria has apologised for exporting wild polio virus to its six West African neighbours, Togo, Niger, Benin, Chad, Cameroon, and Burkina Faso.
Nigeria's health minister, Professor Eyitayo Lambo, blamed the spread of the virus on the controversy over the efficacy of polio vaccines being administered in some parts of Nigeria, which led to a temporary halt to immunisation in the country ( BMJ 2004;328: 1278).
"I formally tender my apology on behalf of the Nigerian government for this development and at the same time pledge to work harder to make polio a history by the end of this year," Professor Lambo told the health ministers of the six countries at a one day joint meeting of the ministers on cross border immunisation strategies, in Abuja at the end of July.
"The postponement of immunisation activities in some key states of Nigeria resulted in a marked increase in the number of polio infected and paralysed children and the reinfection of previously polio free states in Nigeria and exportation of the virus in at least six neighbouring countries," he said.
The apology came at the same time as immunisation in northern Nigeria was resumed after an 11 month halt, bringing to an end the controversy.
The Nigerian government came under severe pressure last year from radical Muslim leaders opposed to the immunisation on the grounds that the vaccines contained antifertility substances, which they contended may have been targeted mainly at the Muslim population of northern Nigeria. The bickering led to the suspension in August 2003 of a UN backed campaign to eradicate polio by the end of 2004.(Abiodun Raufu)
Nigeria's health minister, Professor Eyitayo Lambo, blamed the spread of the virus on the controversy over the efficacy of polio vaccines being administered in some parts of Nigeria, which led to a temporary halt to immunisation in the country ( BMJ 2004;328: 1278).
"I formally tender my apology on behalf of the Nigerian government for this development and at the same time pledge to work harder to make polio a history by the end of this year," Professor Lambo told the health ministers of the six countries at a one day joint meeting of the ministers on cross border immunisation strategies, in Abuja at the end of July.
"The postponement of immunisation activities in some key states of Nigeria resulted in a marked increase in the number of polio infected and paralysed children and the reinfection of previously polio free states in Nigeria and exportation of the virus in at least six neighbouring countries," he said.
The apology came at the same time as immunisation in northern Nigeria was resumed after an 11 month halt, bringing to an end the controversy.
The Nigerian government came under severe pressure last year from radical Muslim leaders opposed to the immunisation on the grounds that the vaccines contained antifertility substances, which they contended may have been targeted mainly at the Muslim population of northern Nigeria. The bickering led to the suspension in August 2003 of a UN backed campaign to eradicate polio by the end of 2004.(Abiodun Raufu)