Why No Child Must Suffer Polio

The emergence of COVID-19 in 2020 led to a paralysis of activities including that of routine immunisation which is mandatory for every child. Experts have continued to warn that Nigeria stands at the risk of returning to the list of polio endemic countries if any child is left behind. Kuni Tyessi writes

He was already in his mid- 40s and was still running in circles. It wasn’t because he wanted to be at the bottom of his class and among his classmates whom after graduating from a prestigious secondary school in Jos, had moved on and had acquired degrees, properties, prestige, marital status/symbols, including making names for themselves.

Rather, he was fighting some internal powers which right from childhood had suppressed him and limited his psychological and mental growth which had in turn, belaboured his emotions and outlook towards life.

As a child, Ahmad was always angry, unsettled, absent minded and paranoid. He got frustrated over his inability to do things that others could do with ease. So many times during break periods in primary school, no football team ever wanted to include him in its group.

Being part of the team meant they were 10 and half in number and not the complete eleven which was the rule in the game of football. Running and engaging other winning techniques was going to be almost impossible for him to achieve and that was a burden to him and the team he was representing.

The reason was because he had been attacked by the wild polio virus at the age of three and was cripple in one leg. His mother, a young woman of 21 had to relocate from the city to their village with his pregnancy alongside his elder brother shortly after his father gained admission into the Ahmadu Bello university, Zaria in Kaduna State.

His elder brother had been immunised against the polio virus and was free from its malady. However, he was not immunised against measles and at four years, he died from a deadly measles outbreak which also claimed the lives of several children in the village.

Managing the situation gulped huge resources and was time and energy consuming. Not the frequent early morning journeys to Dala Orthopedic Hospital and other key health institutions in Kano, from Kaduna could remedy the situation. Even though the affected leg was operated upon and he was given a special kind of shoe which had a double sole in order to assist him stand straight, Ahmad could never be the same again.

The shoe was also supported by a carefully constructed metal which was made in circles and supported with a long straight metal which had been carved by the expertise of a welder and it had a had a buckle, s strap made from genuine leather. It was used to support the leg. These were heavy and dragging the leg whenever he walked was cumbersome, painful, slow and regretful.

However, it was the only remedy medical personnel could give in order to assist him walk straight. His shoulder and spine were taken into consideration.

His case was not as half as bad as that of his cousin in the village who was also affected by polio. The virus crippled her two legs, thereby making it impossible for her to stand. One leg became longer than the other and was shrunken. To walk, she needed the assistance of a stick as she would have to fling one of the legs forward, then struggle to lift her torso with the aid of the stick in order to move the other leg.

A journey that could be estimated to take 10 minutes would last 40 minutes whenever Ramatu was involved. That’s not all, village miscreants and playboys took advantage of her situation to always profess false love just to have their way with her.

On the other hand, there were times she felt she wasn’t good enough for any man as a result of her condition. Getting ‘prospective suitors’ coming to woo her love felt like huge favour, until she was impregnated and abandoned to give birth to a child whose father she wasn’t sure of.

The experience of Ahmad and Ramatu resonates in the life of every child affected by the wild polio virus. If it hasn’t happened, then it’s bound to happen, or a part of it is disaster brewing to burst. While others have the support of a strong family base, the potential of majority is cut short by half.

Even with a strong and consistent support system, they go through, and daily fight stigma, discrimination, inferiority complex, self pity, hatred for the society and sometimes question the supernatural, inadequate government policies to alleviate their plight and the non implementation of existing laws and strengthening of institutions centered around disabilities, as well as cases of sexual abuse and molestation for the females.

Reasons responsible for their inability to get immunised can be likened to many waters that have gone past under a bridge. However, it cannot be unconnected to inadequate information, proximity and the lack of awareness in appreciating the devastating effects of polio and the hardship it brings in its saddle.

The world has kept evolving from medieval ages to modern times, even to post modernisation and today, information is at the finger tips of individuals about benefits of routine immunisation and the consequences of refusing it.

With the routine immunisation awareness week which has commenced on 22nd of April, it is expected that all households will immunise their children and wards and forestall their future, bearing in mind that routine immunisation is the right of every child and children’s rights are equally Human Rights.

With the six months lock down which was not negotiable, due to the spread of the corona virus, experts have raised the alarm stating that there are open windows with the potency of inviting the virus back to Nigeria and making rubbish the declaration made by the World Health Organisation stating that Nigeria is polio free.

In a three-day media dialogue which was organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Information and culture in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, Director for Planning, Research and Statistics in the state ministry of health and human services, Dr. Stephen John, said the emergence of COVID-19 has disrupted activities surrounding routine immunisation with respect to polio.

In the programme themed “Media dialogue on routine immunisation and COVID vaccine vaccination”, Dr. John remarked that “until the world is free, there might be a resurgence of the polio virus”, adding that signals of it resurfacing are visible.

So far, only two countries, namely Pakistan and Afghanistan are in the list of nations still battling to rid themselves from the claws of polio. It will be recalled that Nigeria recorded success after several attempts with huge efforts and funds being expended and going back to the dark days will be an unpalatable story.

According to Dr. John: “When children miss immunisation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are unable to fight other diseases as immunity becomes low. Therefore, there’s fear of resurgence of major illnesses including polio.

“Routine immunisation for children under 15 months is a strategy towards combating diseases from reoccurring. With this, children are better kitted to fight the disease.

“The only way to keep children safe is through vaccination for vaccination saves lives and no child should die as a result of vaccine preventable diseases.”

In his contributions at the programme, National Immunisation Officer for Adamawa state, Katugwa Emmanuel while espousing the highs and lows of routine immunisation in the state, said polio has recorded a success of 98 per cent. As laudable as it is, he said the two percent that have been left out pose as threats if not found and immunised.

He said the major cause of death among children are vaccine preventable diseases and in order to keep Nigeria in the list of polio- free countries, there has to be continuity in informing community members about the importance of completing routine immunisation.

“Community leaders, as well as traditional and religious leaders have to keep mobilising the people towards accepting immunisation. There is nothing like too much immunisation for the more the vaccine, the stronger the child’s system becomes in the fight against diseases.”

The devastating results of polio and its regrettable hardship is only best imagined and like most curses, it is irreversible and only victims like Ahmad and Ramatu can adequately tell and own their stories. Therefore, lockdown or no lockdown, Evert child must be immunised.

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When children miss immunisation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are unable to fight other diseases as immunity becomes low. Therefore, there’s fear of resurgence of major illnesses including polio. Routine immunisation for children under 15 months is a strategy towards combating diseases from reoccurring. With this, children are better kitted to fight the disease