Strengthening Routine Immunization in Areas of Northern Nigeria at High Risk for Polio Transmission during 2012–2014

Wednesday, 1st of April 2015

Strengthening Routine Immunization in Areas of Northern Nigeria at High Risk for Polio Transmission during 2012–2014

1. 1.        Daniel Ali1, 
2. 2.        Richard Banda1, 
3. 3.        Abdulaziz Mohammed1, 
4. 4.        Julie Adagadzu1, 
5. 5.        Bolatito Murele1,
6. 6.        Rachel Seruyange1, 
7. 7.        Jeevan Makam1, 
8. 8.        Pascal Mkanda3, 
9. 9.        Bassey Okpessen2,
10. 10.     Sisay G. Tegegne1, 
11. 11.     Adeboye S. Folorunsho1, 
12. 12.     Tesfaye B. Erbeto1, 
13. 13.     Yared G. Yehualashet1 and
14. 14.     Rui G. Vaz1

+Author Affiliations

1.        ¹World Health Organization, Country Representative Office

2.        ²National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Abuja, Nigeria

3.        ³World Health Organization, Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo

1. Correspondence: D. Ali, Health Organization, Nigeria Country Office, Abuja, Nigeria (alid@who.int).

Abstract below; full text is at http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2016/02/24/infdis.jiv580.full?sid=5bde244d-23b9-48c1-bb79-95f324f6fe2e

Background. Following the 2012 declaration by World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa and the WHO Executive Board to ramp up routine immunization (RI) activities, began to intensify activities to strengthen RI. This study assessed how the intensification of RI helped strengthen service delivery in local government areas (LGAs) of northern Nigeria at high risk for polio transmission.

Methods. A retrospective study was performed by analyzing RI administrative data and findings from supportive supervisory visits in 107 high-risk LGAs.

Results. Our study revealed that administrative coverage with 3rd dose of diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccine in the 107 high-risk LGAs improved from a maximum average coverage of 33% during the preintensification period of 2009–2011 to 74% during the postintensification period of 2012–2014.

Conclusions. Routine immunization could be strengthened in areas where coverage is low, and RI has been identified to be weak when certain key routine activities are intensified.