STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI ON THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF INTERRUPTION OF WILD POLIOVIRUS TRANSMISSION IN NIGERIA

1. Today, July 24, 2016 marks two years since the last case of wild poliovirus was reported in Nigeria. I congratulate all stakeholders that have made this historic achievement possible and those who have worked tirelessly to maintain the effort and permanently halt new polio cases in the country.

2. The next major milestone for us as a country is the certification of polio-free status in 2017 by the World Health Organisation. This administration remains firm in its commitment towards making this a reality by continuing to support in every way possible, routine immunization and the revitalization of primary health care system.

3. As a nation, we are cooperating with international, public and private partners to ensure that in our lifetime our children do not suffer from this crippling disease again. We recognize the power of global partnership to achieve a polio-free world and Nigeria will continue to honour its commitment to ensure that this disease is wiped off the face of the earth for good.

United Nations Foundation: The Case for Ending Polio

While the world is closer than ever to eradicating polio, a final push of funding is needed to get over the finish line. Why should donors and advocates support this cause?

Polio is a devastating disease that can paralyze and even kill children. In 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) – a partnership led by national governments, with five core partners, including the World Health Organization, Rotary International, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and UNICEF, and comprising millions of health workers and advocates around the world – was formed to eradicate polio once and for all.

This global effort has made incredible progress: Polio cases are now down from over 350,000 cases per year in 1988 to fewer than 100 cases in 2015. GPEI recently determined that it will take additional funding to end the disease and released its investment case, which explains why the funds are necessary and why it is more important than ever that the global community does all that it can to end polio for good. Here are the main takeaways.