UNICEF exceeds polio immunisation target

The polio immunisation target for 18 West African countries in 2000 was exceeded by 14 percent as at November, according to details released on Friday by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). A total of 76.9 million children were vaccinated against the debilitating polio virus between January and November against an estimated target population of 67.4 million. Immunisation coverage in 2000 was 16.7 percent better than in 1999 the figures also show. Nigeria, the region’s most populous country, recorded the highest increase of 19.32 percent above the estimated target. A total of 46.86 million children were vaccinated against 39.27 million thought to be in need of protection from polio. Fifteen other countries, which with Nigeria form the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), recorded a 7.5 percent difference from the 23.63 million targeted and the 25.42 million eventually vaccinated. Outside ECOWAS, Chad, with 1.7 million vaccinated children, overshot a target of 1.51 million by 12 percent; but Cameroon fell short by 3.3 percent with 2.9 million children covered. Other countries that also fell short of targets were war-torn Sierra Leone by 21.9 percent with 842,817 children; its immediate neighbour Liberia, which was down 8.67 percent with 832,477 children recorded and; The Gambia, which had 270,269 children immunised, 6.5 percent less than the expected figures.