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Nigeria + 4 more

Nigeria & Lake Chad Polio Outbreak Appeal - 6 September 2016

Attachments

KEY FACTS

  • Wild poliovirus type 1 outbreak in Nigeria: 2 cases.

  • High risk of poliovirus spread in the Lake Chad area.

  • Ongoing Polio Outbreak Response in Northern Nigeria and Lake Chad area implemented as part of the broader humanitarian response effort.

  • WHO has declared Northern Nigeria Grade 3 Humanitarian Emergency.

  • UNICEF has activated its Level 3 Corporate Emergency Procedure for North-East Nigeria.

  • Budget requirements: US116 million.

  • Funding gap: US$ 33 million.

Humanitarian situation overview in Northern Nigeria

Nigeria has been experiencing insurgency in the north-eastern part of the country since 2009 which led the Nigerian President to declare the state of emergency in the 3 worst affected states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states in May 2014.

The Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) for 2015 states that health facilities have been systematically targeted by insurgent attacks, leading to complete or partial damage to health infrastructure. According to the 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan (HPR), about 14.8 million people in four states (Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe) were affected by the insurgency with about 7 million in need of humanitarian assistance. Of these, about 3.7 million are in need of health interventions.

Given the rapidly escalating humanitarian needs identified by increased access in newly liberated areas, WHO has developed an immediate Scale-Up Plan for Borno State, where the needs are the most extreme.

Wild poliovirus outbreak situation overview in Nigeria and Lake Chad Area

  • A Wild Poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) outbreak was confirmed on 10 August 2016 in Northern Nigeria. Two polioviruses were isolated from two local government areas (LGAs) of Borno State - Gwoza and Jere. This is the first WPV1 outbreak in Nigeria since July 2014.

  • In response to the outbreak and to prevent further spread, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative has supported the Government of Nigeria in the preparation of a Nigeria Response Plan to WPV1 in Borno State and a Regional Response Plan to the Polio Outbreak in Lake Chad Basin Countries.

  • Nigeria has declared the polio outbreak a National Public Health Emergency and Ministers of Health from Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Niger and Nigeria have declared the polio outbreak in Nigeria a Public Health Emergency for Countries of the Lake Chad basin.

Additionally, WHO has developed a humanitarian Scale-up Plan in Borno in response to WHO’s official declaration on 19th August of Northern Nigeria as a Grade 3 Humanitarian Emergency. WHO is maintaining Grade 2 status for the surrounding countries of Cameroon and Niger, with consideration to be given of a grading for Chad. UNICEF has also activated its Level 3 Corporate Emergency Activation Procedure at surge phase for North-East Nigeria until 28 February 2017.

The polio outbreak highlights the fragile health systems and the impact of conflict and insecurity while underscoring the risk of transmission throughout the Lake Chad region, notably Chad (Lake Chad area), northern Cameroon, southern Niger and parts of the Central African Republic.

It is not unexpected to find polio transmission in the last stages of polio eradication. This recent discovery does not discount the gains made in Nigeria or on the African continent, but rather underscores the importance of surveillance and of reaching every last child. Every country in Africa and elsewhere needs to assess areas with limited access to find out if there are other pockets where the virus is hiding, preying on neglected and isolated children and families.