POLIO: VACCINATION PROGRAM RAMPING UP?

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001289

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/W, USAID/W FOR AFR/AA, CONSTANCE NEWMAN,
AFR/WA, MICHAEL KARBELING, GH/AA, ANN PETERSON, GH/CH,
SURVIVAL, HOPE SUKIN, OES/IHA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/21/2014
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID SOCI NI
SUBJECT: POLIO: VACCINATION PROGRAM RAMPING UP?

REF: A. ABUJA 1258


B. ABUJA 1185

C. ABUJA 1132

D. ABUJA 971 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOHN CAMPBELL FOR REASONS 1.5 (b) AND (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Kano Governor Ibrahim Shekarau issued a
statement authorizing the resumption of the polio vaccination
program on July 16, saying that he was satisfied as to the
safety of the vaccine. It remains unclear whether the
federal or state government will control the program, but the
donor community has put its support behind the state.
Sources at the Ministry of Health say that vaccination will
begin on July 28, a date which has not been confirmed by Kano
State government officials. With the statement, the
immediate hurdle has been cleared, but the hard part begins:
convincing people to participate after over a year of
negative publicity. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) After 11 months, Kano State Governor Ibrahim
Shekarau issued a statement authorizing the resumption of the
polio vaccination program. In a statement read on July 16,
he said that Kano State was "satisfied" that the vaccine was
safe and requested the Ministry of Health to "begin all
preparations for the conduct of vaccinations." He called for
the vaccinations to begin "as soon as possible."


3. (U) It remains unclear whether the federal or state
government will control the program, but the donor community
has put its support behind the state. In a recent meeting,
donors were firmly behind the decentralization of the
program, devolving control to state health ministries. One
of Shekarau's aides could not confirm to PolOff whether the
program would be managed by the state or federal program, but
said he was unconcerned with that detail. "Everything is
being prepared to begin, details of management can be sorted
out later," he said.


4. (U) Sources at the Ministry of Health say that
vaccination will begin on July 28. Kano State officials
would only say that vaccinations would begin "soon."


5. (C) COMMENT: With this simple statement, the hurdle
blocking progress for the past year has been cleared. The
negative publicity, distrust of the federal government and
western donors, and the acrimony over the issue have all been
in the public eye and suspicions remain at the grassroots
level. The hard part begins now: respected leaders must take
the lead in encouraging mass participation in the program to
stem the spread of the disease even further afield.
CAMPBELL