Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin-Kebbi
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), recently launched advocacy campaigns in several communities in Kebbi State to eradicate Wild Polio Virus. The communities were those that have always resisted polio advocacy and vaccinations.
Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious viral disease, which mainly affects young children. It is usually transmitted by person-to-person mainly through the faecal-oral route.
For long, Nigeria had been among endemic countries that suffered from the debilitating onslaught of polio. For the first time, the country was delisted on September 25, 2015, from the polio-endemic list after interrupted transmission for 12 months.
It was then billed to be certified polio free in 2019 by WHO, but that was stalled by an outbreak of the virus in Borno State between July and August 2016. The setback was hugely blamed on the Boko Haram insurgency as several communities in the North-east region were inaccessible for health workers to administer vaccines.
In Kebbi state, massive immunisation exercises and public awareness using various media organizations were parts of efforts put in place to eliminate the disease. However, the success recorded was said to be minimal as religion and resistance from parents militated against the exercises.
As it stands, some local government areas have been pinpointed as likely prone to polio, and they include, Birnin-Kebbi, Jega, Gwandu, Danko-Wasagu and Yauri. In these places, efforts are now consistently mounted by the state government and traditional leaders on parents and guardians to provide their wards for immunisation. In these areas, it was discovered that ignorance, inadequate publicity, deep rooted religious and cultural beliefs, were reasons the people kicked against polio vaccination.
For instance, in Gwandu Local Government Area, Kofar Liggi and Unguwar Yarbawa communities are reportedly known for their non compliant posture towards polio immunisation.
Most of the people revealed that their rejection stemmed largely from having too many rounds of routine immunisations (RI), poor attitude of health workers at the general hospitals, lack of free access to drugs and high cost of treatment.
A resident of Kofar-Liggin community, Muhammad Sambo, said he was among those that had wrong perception about polio immunisation, but that it all changed after being counselled by health workers and listening to sensitisation lectures at the mosque.
“I was among those that believed it was anti-Islamic to take polio vaccine or seek prevention before sickness strikes. I was not aware of the dangers involved in not having my children immunised. My children were not available for immunization any time the health officials visited. There is need to carry out more sensitization campaign through health workers, traditional and leaders,” he advised.
Sambo said the only channel through which they get information is from town criers, adding that the criers usually go round to announce days slated for immunization.
“Also, health personnel or community mobilisers meet with us periodically to talk about polio immunization. We rarely listen to radio or watch television because there is no electricity in our community. The few people that have access to electricity do not bother to use it,” he said.
Decrying alleged unprofessional conducts of health officials in the area, Sambo said many parents have complained about being treated unfairly by health workers each time they take their children to the hospital. He lamented that after the ill treatment, they still end up buying drugs at exorbitant rates.
He said: “It is still the same health workers that will go to their homes and ask them to bring their children out for immunisation at no cost. We are of the opinions that there must be something hidden about the immunisation to make them administer it free. Why are drugs for malaria, cholera and other diseases that are rampant in the community not free? These are things that make our people sceptical about the immunisation campaign.”
An elder in the community, Altine Dangiwa urged people to forget about the widespread misconception about polio immunization and get their children vaccinated.
The 70-year-old, who has seven children and three wives, said he now allows his children to be immunized, after years of dwelling in ignorance about the polio.
“I had bad perception as well but later had a change of heart. I have joined other community mobilisers to appeal to our people to allow their children come out for immunisation. Our only reservation still remains why polio immunisation should be the only medication given to us free.
“Another problem is getting information from TV and radio due to lack of electricity. There is limited sensitisation or community mobilisation on polio immunisation here. Many people here are still ignorant of the disease,” he said.
Lamenting how ignorance had adversely affected the health of children in the community, a 98-year-old man, Malam Dan Yaya of Unguwar Yarbawa community, said his current view and knowledge about polio had changed for good.
“I am almost 100 years but ignorant about polio. I only got to hear about it when health officials visited. I now bring out my children for immunisation, unlike before that I would hide them. Initially, we thought it was anti-Islamic and was brought by the white man to achieve a hidden agenda. I changed my mind because of the pressure from our leaders. Secondly, my children ended up in court for refusing to release their children for immunisation. Part of the condition given for their release was that I would ensure my grandchildren are released by their parents for routine immunisation. Ignorance constitutes greater part of the reason why most of my people don’t want to have their children vaccinated,” he said.
Musa Haruna, UNICEF representative in Gwandu Local Government, attributed the defiant stance of most of the people to wrong religious beliefs. He said most of them believe that Islam prohibits them from seeking medical care before being sick. He, however, said the trend is changing fast as more children now turn up for immunisation.
“Most of the non-compliant households hold on to religious beliefs. We will not relent in sensitising them on the dangers of polio. We usually make use of religious and traditional leaders to talk to them about the importance and dangers of not getting their children immunised.We usually hold community dialogue to hear from them as well,” he said.