NIGERIA: ENCOURAGING POLITICAL SUPPORT FOR POLIO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 001591 SENSITIVE SIPDIS USDA FOR FAS RON VERDONK, PATRICK PACKNETT USAID FOR AA/GLOBAL HEALTH, KENT HILL; GH/HIDN, RICHARD GREENE, ELLYN OGDEN E.O. 12958 TAGS: TBIO PGOV ECON EAID SOCI KISL KOCI NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: ENCOURAGING POLITICAL SUPPORT FOR POLIO ERADICATION REF: A. STATE 65054 ¶B. ABUJA 815 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION OUTSIDE USG ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Per reftel A request, the Mission re-conveyed to the Government of Nigeria (GON) the importance of polio eradication in Nigeria. The GON replied that it has set up a Technical Committee on Immunization and Polio Eradication because of the World Health Assembly (WHA) resolution regarding an increase in the number of wild polio virus infected children in Nigeria and neighboring countries. The Mission has strongly encouraged the GON to make polio eradication a political priority and will continue to dialog on this issue, in concert with other bilateral and multilateral donors, at the highest levels as well as with key stakeholders such as state and local government officials in northern Nigeria, traditional leaders and clergy. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) The GON formed a Technical Committee (TC) on Immunization and Polio Eradication on June 27 during a meeting chaired by the Acting Minister of Health, Dr. Muhammed Hassan Lawal. The Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Shehu Sule, attended and Dr. Abdulsalami Nasidi, the Minister's new Special Advisor for Polio Eradication, was appointed the TC Secretary/Coordinator. The goal of the TC is to improve and increase collaboration and synchronization between the governments of Nigeria and Niger to prevent further spreading of the wild polio virus. ¶3. (SBU) The TC was set up in response to the May 25 2008 WHA resolution which singled out Nigeria for strong criticism due to the increasing wild polio virus transmission rate in the Northern states. In meetings with donor partners, Dr. Sule expressed government embarrassment and humiliation for Nigeria's role in "re-infecting the world" (Reftel A). He emphasized that the GON is committed to immunization efforts and preventing polio's spread. Mission Engagement at the Highest Level -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Ambassador has met with President Yar'Adua twice since January 2008 and has stressed the importance the USG places on GON actions to stop and eradicate the spread of wild polio virus. She and USAID Mission Director also spoke at length on the subject at meeting in April that included a number of Nigerian Ministers and Ministers of State. The Ambassador also raised this issue in July with the Sultan of Sokoto (the leader of Nigeria's Muslim community),the First Lady of Kano State (where polio has been a particular problem) the Emir of Zazau (the traditional ruler of Zaria, a prominent Northern city) and the Governor of Kwara State, who is also the Chair of the Governors Forum. ¶5. (SBU) High level USG advocacy, in coordination with colleagues from the British Department for International Development (DFID), the World Bank and the World Health Organization Country Mission, has reinforced these messages from the Ambassador. Following a recent Interagency Coordinating Committee meeting questioning immunization reporting, the GON recognized the shortcomings to date and established the Immunization and Polio Eradication Initiative, programming a series of immunization campaign days focusing first on northern states on Nigeria's international borders, followed by other northern Nigerian states with continued high levels of children with zero polio vaccine doses. (Comment: While the initiative is a welcome one, it has yet to be demonstrated if it will in fact lead to significantly better performance in the field. End Comment.) ¶6. USAID officials continue to meet regularly with Federal and State Ministry of Health officials, traditional and religious leaders to emphasize the importance of commitment and action from all levels of leadership. AIDOFFs have carried out far reaching field visits to highlight the need for improved training and supervision of immunization teams, improved and timely flow of government resources to local wards and districts for campaigns, and more reliable distribution of vaccines. On July 29, the USAID Mission Director, along with other development partners and the Acting Minister of Health, participated in a meeting with the First Lady of Nigeria and several Northern State Government First Ladies on polio eradication. The First Lady urged her state-level counterparts to participate in immunization activities and stressed the need for their early engagement. ¶7. (SBU) USAID's COMPASS Polio project facilitated an assembly of religious, traditional and local government leaders in Kano on July 31 that was led by the Emir of Kano's personal representative and ABUJA 00001591 002 OF 002 Dr. Nasidi from the Federal Ministry of Health. That meeting sponsored frank discussions of the inadequacies of current vaccination efforts, the need for full support of polio eradication efforts by the Islamic clergy and the risks to Nigerian participation in the annual Hajj, as a result of the spread of wild polio virus. Federal and State health ministry officers, along with local government chairmen for the northern Nigeria districts, will meet again in Gusau Zamfara State on August 7 - 9 to devise an operational plan for vaccination efforts in August and September, as well as the integrated measles campaign proposed for November. AIDOFFs will attend that meeting to further intensify USG advocacy efforts and support for practical measures. ¶8. (SBU) Comment: It is essential that state and local government officials assume personal responsibility and accountability for the performance of immunization teams in their respective territories. Teams need to take on a much more proactive posture in chasing down children with zero or few vaccine doses. Independent and objective monitoring of performance is essential. Islamic clergy, including Friday mosque imams, can regularly emphasize the need for vaccine compliance in their sermons. Some further technical assistance in behavior change communication may be required to better assess the take-up of key radio immunization messages and enhance the content and format to address those concerns and worries that may persist among parents and lead to reduced levels of compliance in the northern states. Finally, those states that are taking positive and constructive steps, demonstrating leadership, creativity and better performance, need to be showcased and highlighted as examples for the other northern states. End Comment. PIASCIK