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HEALTH INTERACTIVE WITH DR AMINU MAGASHI Polio Outbreak: Visiting Rogo L.G.A. IRIN
NEWS (Integrated Regional
Information Network) being managed by United
Nation Office for the Humanitarian Affairs in its 5th
July, 04 edition carried a story entitled ‘WHO Investigates Suspected Polio Outbreak in Kano. The news
mentioned that through a telephone discussion, an official of WHO had
told IRIN that the body has sent a team to Rogo town, about 100 kilo
meters away from The
report went ahead to say that the Vice Chairman of the LGA, Alh Nasir
Dalha while talking to Freedom Radio ( Kano Based Private Media )
mentioned that during the month of June between one and two cases of
suspected polio had been recorded in each of the districts that make up
Rogo. He quated hospital officials saying that all the patients had
shown symptoms typical of Polio – pain in the limbs, fever, fatique
and stiffness and some of them already paralyzed. In
another astounding story carried on page three of Daily Trust (Friday,
July, 9th, 04) entitled ‘Kano Denies Polio Report, the same Alh Nasir Dalha, Rogo Vice Chairman reportedly said, he was
misquoted by the Freedom Radio Station and equally in the same news
story, it was reported that the state health officials were sent to the
area but discovered that the report was false. The two officials sent
according to the report were Dr Sani Jibrin and Dr Ali Idi, Deputy
Director Primary Health Care, State Ministry of Health and WHO official
respectively. With these two conflicting and parallel stories in mind
and with the firm belief that arm
chair analysis over this matter will not help in any way, my self
and two others traveled to Rogo LGA on fact
finding mission. It was on Saturday, 10th July, 04 at
about I
introduced myself as a medical doctor with an NGO that advocates for
women and children and also a public health writer and our visit was
personal, not representing any quarters, at the end of the discussion, I
gave him my complimentary card and also my colleagues introduced
themselves too. From about We saw 5 children, examined them physically and talked to their fathers, mothers or both. The first male child was said to be three years old and had received 5 doses of Polio Vaccine and suffered bilateral lower limb paralysis, more on the right leg ( severe hypo tonia, hypo reflexia and marked reduction in muscle bulk ) the problem started with fever and weakness of the body about 6 to 7 month ago. The second child (female) was 2 years old, initially walking around but about 2 month ago suddenly could not even crawl, had not received any polio immunization. Another female child whom is 4 years old suffered some weakness but now on her feet and going about her normal business. The fourth child, 2 years old plus 3 month, a female had received 4 doses of polio vaccine and develop the weakness and fever 7 month ago, also the right leg is more affected. The last child we saw was 8 years old, fully vaccinated but when she was below the age 4 weeks (neonate) suffered convulsion, from my assessment, she presented with body rigidity, both lower and upper limbs and inability to walk properly. I suspected that she suffered meningitis and God forbid, she may have suffered Cerebral Palsy and may end of with Epilepsy, all the two are complications of meningitis. We
were unable to see their hospital cards which were not available to
ascertain what they told us regarding immunization history. From all
what I said above, my deduction is that, the first four children were suspected polio cases
while the last one , a
suspected Meningitis
Case. In our bewilderment, upon all the media hype by IRIN
NEWS that WHO is investigating the suspected cases and the
visitation of the two people as reported by Daily Trust, the stool
samples of the children were
not taken for investigation and verification .
Only one of them told
us that a form was given to him to come to the Murtala
Mohammed Specialist Hospital in The
simple fact that the most recent case among the ones we witnessed and
also as we asked many people if there were any fresh case reported and
having got a negative reply, that is an indication that the word outbreak
is not the correct explanation for the Rogo saga, but rather suspected
cases that were only discovered recently which may endanger the life of
other children. All in all, there are 4 possibilities
surrounding the suspected cases
With what is happening in Rogo and of course other places in the country regarding immunisable and preventable diseases, it is obvious that, the stakeholders must demonstrate commitment and a sense of responsibility towards the plight of children. While we await the Kano state government’s report on investigation on the vaccines that were recently imported from Indonesia and probable flagging off, I urge the government of the state to ensure Massive Awareness In The Media On Environmental Sanitation And Personal Hygiene and tasking itself and the 44 LGAs to commit resources towards Environmental Programs, that way, at least the chance of transmitting polio virus through feco-oral route will reduce drastically and also I expect as a matter of urgency for WHO, UNICEF, Federal Government and Kano State to constitute a joint committee that will properly conduct investigation on the suspected Polio cases in Rogo with the aim of knowing the truth and way forward over this imbroglio which for now appears far from being resolved. Dr
Magashi Is The Executive Director Of Community Health and Research
Initiative,
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