[e-drug] Nigerian polio vaccine boycott

[e-drug@healthnet.org]

E-DRUG: Nigerian polio vaccine boycott
---------------------------------------
[Polio can be eradicated, but then ALL human polio virus must stop
spreading... A few states in Northern Nigeria refuse polio vaccination as
they suspect it is poisoned with anti-fertility drugs, and fear a US plot to
eradicate muslems rather than polio. Sounds unbelievable, but remeber the
stories in apartheid South Africa that children vaccines were poisoned with
anti-HCG to lower the black population? Any Nigerian E-drugger who wish to
comment? Thanks to DRUGINFO for spotting this. Copied as fair use. WB]

Hi all

As this AP/NYT piece shows, the problems with polio vaccination in parts of
Northern Nigeria seem impossible to resolve. This could well be the last
place to eradicate polio, but will remain a source of problems for
neighbours and hence the whole world.

The role of Rotary International's PolioPlus in raising funds and advocating
for this campaign is perhaps less well known in SA than elsewhere - RI is
the largest non-governmental financial contributor to the global polio
eradication effort, and by 2005 will have contributed more than $500
million - for details see
http://www.rotary.org/foundation/polioplus/index.html - the last lap is the
most expensive, with enormous numbers of doses necessary to prevent the last
few cases, hence the need for supplemental funding.

regards
Andy
~~~

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-West-Africa-Polio.html
Official Defends Polio Vaccinne Boycott
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: February 26, 2004
Filed at 1:41 a.m. ET

KANO, Nigeria (AP) -- A Nigerian state governor defended a boycott of a
polio immunization campaign, asserting a spreading outbreak of the disease
was a ``lesser of two evils'' than rendering women infertile with vaccines
that some Islamic leaders have deemed a U.S. plot against Muslims.

Kano state governor Ibrahim Shekarau told The Associated Press Wednesday
that he ``regrets reports'' that delaying vaccinations is worsening a polio
epidemic that U.N. officials say is spreading across Nigeria's borders and
threatening the goal of eradicating the disease by 2005.

The World Health Organization and others -- hoping to contain the
outbreak -- launched a drive Monday to inoculate 63 million children in 10
west and central African nations, including Nigeria.

Door-to-door vaccinations have been banned in Kano, Zamfara and Niger --
three predominantly Islamic states in northern Nigeria -- since last
October, with critics calling the immunization campaign a U.S. plot to
spread AIDS or infertility among Muslims.

Shekarau said he believes ``it is a lesser of two evils to sacrifice two,
three, four, five, even ten children (to polio) than allow hundreds of
thousands or possibly millions of girl-children likely to be rendered
infertile.''

Tests carried out on the vaccine by his state's scientists last year found
traces of hormones that ``we want explained,'' the governor added.

His comments came as Bauchi, another predominantly Muslim state, on
Wednesday rejoined the four-day immunization campaign.

United Nations Children's Fund spokesman Gerrit Beger said vaccinators were
``quite successful'' in Bauchi where he said officials allowed the campaign
to begin on Wednesday morning.

Bauchi had just two days earlier suspended participation in the vaccine
drive. Reasons for its apparent reversal were unclear and officials there
could not be reached for comment.

U.N. officials have declared that Kano is the epicenter of a polio outbreak
spreading from Nigeria to at least seven other African nations where the
disease had been eliminated.

The disease, caused by the human poliovirus, has been eradicated in Europe,
the Americas, much of Asia and Australia. It usually infects children under
the age of five through contaminated drinking water and attacks the central
nervous system, causing paralysis, muscular atrophy, deformation and, in
some cases, death.

A 16-year, multibillion dollar international immunization effort has reduced
the number of victims disabled by the disease from 350,000 in 1988 to less
than 1,000 last year.

Yet nearly one-half of those are in Nigeria, where several predominantly
Muslim states have forbidden health workers to participate in the program to
distribute the vaccines door-to-door, which ends Thursday.

The delay of a report by a Nigerian team of scientists, politicians and
religious leaders sent abroad this month to observe tests on the vaccines
and allay fears has instead fed rumors and speculation about its safety.

Nigerian Health Minister Eyitayo Lambo declined Wednesday to speak about the
report, widely expected to be released at the end of the month.

Lambo accused the vaccine's detractors -- led by states governed by the
country's main opposition party -- of manipulating the vaccine boycott ``to
score political points'' against the federal government.

``People are just saying it is not safe because they want to score political
points. I want to assure you the government of Nigeria has no hidden agenda
against the Muslims. They are also Nigerians and the federal government
would not try to kill them,'' Lambo told reporters.

Shekarau angrily denied the charge, insisting he wouldn't ``play politics
with the lives of children.''

``I would rather give up my position than sacrifice one child to remain in
power,'' he said.

Shekarau urged U.N. and Nigerian officials to explain why several rounds of
tests carried out by detractors allegedly showed trace levels of a type of
the female hormone estrogen, which some Muslim politicians fear could cause
infertility.

U.N. officials have stressed that, at the levels alleged, the hormones would
be absolutely harmless and less than the amount in breast milk, if in fact
they were present in the vaccines at all.

Apart from Nigeria, Africa's anti-polio campaign is taking place in Ivory
Coast, Ghana, Togo, Niger, Cameroon, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African
Republic and Chad.

Associated Press writer John Murray in Abuja contributed to this report.

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