The World Health Organization (WHO) is currently analyzing data from Nigeria about its claim that no case of polio was reported from the country during the last three years, a WHO official said Tuesday.
Charity Warigon, WHO’s spokesperson in Nigeria, said in a statement that the last case of polio in Nigeria was recorded in August 2016. That would suggest that the country meets the polio-free status.
She quoted Clement Peter, the officer in charge of WHO office in Nigeria, as saying that in two months the country would reach three years without a polio case and could be certified polio-free.
Peter said if Nigeria does not report a wild polio case in the next two months, the country could be certified polio-free after submitting its papers to the regional commission in the first quarter of 2020.
The officer in charge of the WHO office in Nigeria emphasizes Nigeria’s efforts to reach this milestone, particularly through building community acceptance of vaccines and strong political commitment.
