99 Health Problems (But Polio Isn't One)

After a full year without any new polio cases in Nigeria, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced earlier this month that the disease is no longer endemic in the country. This development has come at a time when we really need some good news, so a little self-congratulation is not amiss. This is especially true considering the major polio eradication setback the country faced in 2003 when five states boycotted the oral polio vaccine (OPV), leading to a jump in reported cases between 2002 and 2006.

That boycott stemmed from allegations that the OPV contained HIV and sterility-causing agents and it took a concerted effort by imams, Islamic school teachers, traditional rulers, doctors, journalists, and polio survivors to restore confidence in the campaign. It also took a team of over 200,000 people, including Nigerians who worked to administer the vaccine even in the remotest areas, under difficult and sometimes life-threatening