Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Nigeriaon Course to Becoming Polio-Free

Chika Oduah

   ENUGU, NIGERIA - Nigerian activistAyubaGufwanmade sure his five
   children received polio vaccinations soon after they were born.
   "I was determined to make sure none of my kids got the polio virus
   because I am a victim myself," he said.

   Gufwancame down with polio when he was 5 years old. Forced to crawl on
   the floor, hewasn't able toattend school for years and faced ridicule.

   These days,Gufwanis a popular advocate for the needs of polio
   survivors. His organization has supplied more than 26,000 locally
   produced wheelchairs for Nigerians living with the disease.
   The government has been working with organizations such as UNICEF,
   Rotary International, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World
   Bank and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to train
   health workers, procure the vaccine and spread awareness. This week,
   those efforts paid off. On Wednesday, Nigeria marked three years
   without a new case of wild polio virus.
   It's a status many say is a cause to celebrate, but Dr. UsmanAdamu, who
   helps coordinate the Nigerian government polio eradication operations
   center, offered a more measured response.
   "It's not a celebration per se,"Adamusaid. "It's just marking the
   milestone, which is significant in our quest to achieve eradication
   and, subsequently, certification."
   The next step for Nigeria to be certified polio-free will be rigorous
   surveillance to see that there are no further cases of the wild polio
   virus. Nigeria could be declared polio-free as soon as mid-2020.

.