Women Hold the Key to Ending Polio

When Nigeria was certified free of wild poliovirus five years ago, it was a moment of pride not just for our country, but for the whole African region. I still remember that day vividly. After decades of effort, we had achieved what many thought impossible. But I also remember what I said then: we can close one eye now, but not both. Complacency is dangerous. Even one new case means starting over.

Day after day, the work continues: tracing the virus through sewage samples in Lagos and Zamfara, responding to outbreaks in Sokoto, and reaching children through mass immunization in cities and remote villages. Just this month, Nigeria launched one of the largest integrated child health campaigns in its history, reaching millions of children with vaccines against polio, measles, and rubella, al