Campaigns In Nigeria Research Articles

A spatial model of Wild Poliovirus Type 1 in Kano State, Nigeria: calibration and assessment of elimination probability

BackgroundSince the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, all but three countries (Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan) have apparently interrupted all wild poliovirus (WPV) transmission, and only one of three wild serotypes has been reported globally since 2012. Countrywide supplemental immunization campaigns in Nigeria produced dramatic reduction in WPV Type 1 paralysis cases since 2010 compared to the 2000’s, and WPV1 has not been observed in Nigeria since July 24, 2014. This article presents the development and calibration of a spatial metapopulation model of wild poliovirus Type 1 transmission in Kano State, Nigeria, which was the location of the most recent WPV1 case and 5 out of 6 of the reported WPV1 paralytic cases in Nigeria in 2014.MethodsThe model is calibrated to data on the case counts and age at onset of paralysis from 2003–2009. The features of the data drive model development from a simple susceptible-exposed-infective-recovered (SEIR) model to a spatial metapopulation model featuring seasonal forcing and age-dependent transmission. The calibrated parameter space is then resampled, projected forward, and compared to more recent case counts to estimate the probability that Type 1 poliovirus has been eliminated in Kano state.ResultsThe model indicates a 91 % probability that Type 1 poliovirus has been eliminated from Kano state as of October 2015. This probability rises to >99 % if no WPV1 paralysis cases are detected for another year. The other states in Nigeria have experienced even longer case-free periods (the only other state with a WPV1 case was Yobe, on April 19, 2014), and Nigeria is the last remaining country in Africa to experience endemic WPV1 transmission, so these results can be interpreted as an upper bound on the probability that WPV1 transmission is currently interrupted continent-wide.ConclusionsWhile the results indicate optimism that WPV1 transmission has been interrupted in Kano state, the model also assumes that frequent SIAs with high coverage continue to take place in Kano state through the end of the certification period. We conclude that though WPV1 appears to be on the brink of continent-wide elimination (WHO officially removed Nigeria from the list of polio-endemic countries on September 25, 2015), it is important for the polio program to maintain vigilance in surveillance and vaccination activities to prevent WPV1 resurgence through the WHO’s 3-year eradication certification period.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12879-016-1817-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The impact of behaviour change communication on the use of insecticide treated nets: a secondary analysis of ten post-campaign surveys from Nigeria.

BackgroundMass distribution campaigns of insecticide-treated nets for malaria prevention are usually accompanied by intensive behaviour change communication (BCC) to encourage hanging and use of nets. However, data on the effectiveness of these communication efforts are scarce. In preparation for the next round of mass campaigns in Nigeria, a secondary analysis of existing data from post-campaign surveys was undertaken to investigate the influence of BCC on net hanging and use.MethodsSurveys were undertaken between 2009 and 2012 in ten states in Nigeria using standardized questionnaires. Two-stage cluster sampling was used to select households in each study site. Outcomes were defined as the effects of BCC message exposure and recall on knowledge, attitudes, perception as well as intentions and actual use. From the univariable analysis, potential confounders and explanatory variables were identified and key effects explored in multivariable linear or logistic regression models; terms in the models were kept if they had a marginal significance with p < 0.2. To quantify the effects from BCC, a treatment effect model was used with an inverse-probability weight regression adjustment.ResultsMore than half of the respondents (58.4 %; 95 % CI 56.0, 60.7) had heard a message about net use or hanging during or after the distribution campaign, with media cited as the most common source of information. Attitude towards net use was positively linked to the number of messages recalled and was overall better in the northern study sites. The number of messages recalled was also the strongest predictor of knowledge (p < 0.001). All BCC outcomes showed a significant increase in net use, which was strongest for the confidence to take action regarding nets with an overall effect of 17 %-point increase of net use comparing poor and excellent confidence levels. Intention to use every night increased net use by 15 %-points and discussing net use in the family by 8 % points. All these effects were statistically significant (p < 0.001).ConclusionsMultichannel BCC campaigns as well as other media were effective in contributing to an increase in net culture, hanging and use, particularly by vulnerable groups.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12936-016-1463-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Responsible finance and child labour: quo vadis microfinance?

Despite a remarkable downward trend since 2000, child labour remains a reality for 168 million children worldwide (from 245 million in 2000). Of those children, more than half are engaged in hazardous work that directly endangers their health, safety, and moral development. These latest statistics from the International Labour Organization illustrate a pressing concern for today’s world and call for integrated efforts to tackle them. This article proposes a framework for development practitioners and policymakers to help them design interventions with a particular focus on financial service providers. We briefly describe root causes of child labour – including demand, social norms, access, costs and quality of education, vulnerability and risk exposure, and income poverty – and then propose innovative interventions that financial service providers can engage in to address, where possible, each of the causes. The article then presents evidence from recent experimental research in Pakistan which shows the significant positive effect that an innovative health and accidental death insurance product had on reducing child labour. Further evidence from experimental research with an associated school fees loan and an awareness campaign in Nigeria, and an integrated training package and sensitization programme in Mali, illustrate that the impact of interventions on child labour, education, and poverty are not always straightforward.

Changing Citizens’ Negative Attitude towards HIV/AIDS in Nigeria: The Policy Thrust and Communications Strategy

In this study, the negative attitude of some Nigerians which inhibits a total successful HIV/AIDS campaigns in the country is critically examined. This was motivated by the reported persistent high national prevalence rate of between 5% to 3.6% of this dreaded health problem over the past ten years. The study objectives were to: ascertain the effectiveness of communications’ media being Original Research Article Odigbo et al.; IJTDH, 9(3): 1-7, 2015; Article no.IJTDH.17217 2 used in the HIV/AIDS campaigns in Nigeria; and determine the potency of the health policy in the country as tools for successful HIV/AIDS campaigns. The area of study was Port Harcourt city in the Rivers State of Nigeria, reputed as oil producing State with a high momentum of social life. The main instrument for data collection was structured questionnaire. Likert’s 4-points scale and measure of central tendency was used in the presentation and analysis of the data. Results obtained indicate that the communications’ media being used in the HIV/AIDS campaigns in Nigeria are quite effective; the health policy thrust in the country is also adequate for successful HIV/AIDS campaigns, however, some socio-cultural and religious factors, depending on the parts of the country inhibits peoples’ acceptance of some of the anti-HIV/AIDS messages and products like condom. The study then recommended that school heads, corporate organization heads, religious and community leaders should be used to enhance the success of the campaign against stigmatization of people living with HIV in the country.

Appraising the cross-currents of law, religion and culture on same sex marriage issue in Nigeria: The human rights approach

Since there is no well articulated legal protection against same sex marriage discrimination in Nigeria, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons in Nigeria are facing unique legal and socio-religious challenges not experienced by those not in that category. Most Nigerians due to their religious belief opine that homosexuality is a way of life that the society should not accept. This position has been widely criticized by human and civil rights organizations as well as the United Nations as inconsistence with Nigeria’s obligations as demanded by the international law and treaties that guaranteed human right and equity which Nigeria is a signatory. This paper therefore examines same-sex marriages from human rights' point of view. The article elucidates the imperative of Universality of Human rights, based on principle of justice and equity as against the socio-religious sentiment that was used to curry support for anti-same sex marriage campaigns in Nigeria.

Cultural Sensitivity in Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) Preventive Campaign in Nigeria

The STIs preventive campaign in Nigeria lacks a common vision on how culture ought to inform the design and implementation of interventions. The study investigated how culture can be conceptualised into STIs preventive communication campaign in Nigeria. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews among students of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta. Findings revealed virginity as one of the protective factors and polygamy as one of the risk factors in culture that must be taken into considerations. The study concludes that STIs preventive campaign in Nigeria needs to develop interventions that recognise not only the negative aspect of culture but also promote the positive and unique aspect of culture.

Improving polio vaccination coverage in Nigeria through the use of geographic information system technology.

Historically, microplanning for polio vaccination campaigns in Nigeria relied on inaccurate and incomplete hand-drawn maps, resulting in the exclusion of entire settlements and missed children. The goal of this work was to create accurate, coordinate-based maps for 8 polio-endemic states in northern Nigeria to improve microplanning and support tracking of vaccination teams, thereby enhancing coverage, supervision, and accountability. Settlement features were identified in the target states, using high-resolution satellite imagery. Field teams collected names and geocoordinates for each settlement feature, with the help of local guides. Global position system (GPS) tracking of vaccination teams was conducted in selected areas and daily feedback provided to supervisors. Geographic information system (GIS)-based maps were created for 2238 wards in the 8 target states. The resulting microplans included all settlements and more-efficient team assignments, owing to the improved spatial reference. GPS tracking was conducted in 111 high-risk local government areas, resulting in improved team performance and the identification of missed/poorly covered settlements. Accurate and complete maps are a necessary part of an effective polio microplan, and tracking vaccinators gives supervisors a tool to ensure that all settlements are visited.

The Role of the Mass Media in the Nigerian Electoral Process

This paper focuses generally on the role of the mass media in Nigerian electoral process as it pertains to overall development of Nigeria. The background is the recognition of the central role of the media in political and social affairs as a natural outcome of its unlimited communicative strength and outreach. The statement of problem is anchored on the wide spread negative image of the media in electioneering campaigns in Nigeria’s political history. The objective of this paper is to readdress media practice in Nigeria to its fundamental ethical journalistic foundation as basis for positive contribution to national integration. It is also aimed at the examination of both external (official) and internal obstacles that hinder the realization of the goal. This paper uses the method of comparative phenomenological analysis to examine the performances of the media in Nigerian electoral process with regard to its fundamental roles to inform, educate, entertain and monitor in the electoral process.UJAH: Unizik Journal of Arts and Humanities vol 14 (2) 2013

HIV/AIDS and Cultural Practices in Nigeria: An Implication for HIV/AIDS Preventive Communication Campaign

This article aims to examine the subtle links that exist between cultural practices and beliefs and the high prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. It investigates the cultural practices that influence risky sexual behaviour and how cultural values of the people can be conceptualised into STIs preventive communication campaign in Nigeria. Data were gathered through an in-depth interview among young students of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic. The study also shows that socio-cultural environment and structural contexts are responsible for the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. Therefore, the non-centrality of culture in HIV/AIDS preventive campaign is one of the major reasons why very little success has been recorded in the area of behaviour change. The study emphasize that HIV/AIDS preventive communication campaign should not fight against the culture of the people because it might alienate the people whose cooperation is necessary if the prevalence of HIV/AIDS must be curbed. Therefore, the study advocates that campaign planners should rather try to make behaviour and practices safer in a way that is culturally acceptable to people. Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Preventive communication, Cultural practices

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back: The Political Culture of Corruption and Cleanups in Nigeria

In light of its pervasiveness, tackling corruption has become a priority on the Nigerian political agenda at local and national levels. This article critically examines the evolution of corruption in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous and oil-rich country. Specifically, the article examines how the corrupt practices of Nigeria’s ruling cabal have stunted the growth of a country with huge potential. The article contributes to the existing body of literature on corruption by explaining when, how and why corruption became entrenched in the Nigerian polity. In conclusion the article makes some prospective recommendations that may advance the anti-corruption campaign in Nigeria.

Language of Political Campaigns and Politics in Nigeria

Communication as a complex phenomenon remains vital to a sustenance of relationships and human existence. It is in fact, the oil that lubricates human interactions. Despite this significance, communication is a double-edged sword which can be used either positively or negatively. Boulton (1978, p.41) attested to the negative social intend of language from the perspective of its potential for complexity. She also observed that ‘’language is often used, not to communicate but to deceive. This is often true of political and religious propaganda... .’’ The intention to manipulate people’s mind and thought is symbolically expressed through print and broadcast media particularly, during political campaigns and in the eventual practice of politics in a given society. Using a purposive sampling method , the paper identified 51 samples but analysed 16 political messages and slogans reflected in the print media (billboard and newspaper-paid advertisements) during the 2011 electioneering campaigns in Nigeria. It was observed that man as a political animal engages in the practice of politics as a social and noble activity to express his political agenda either positively or negatively. Therefore, it was recommended that political candidates should endeavour to inform and persuade electorates rather than deceive or merely entertain them.

Communication for Social Mobilization: An Evaluative Study of the National Immunization Campaign in Nigeria

Communication for Social Mobilization: An Evaluative Study of the National Immunization Campaign in Nigeria

Agenda Setting for Political Communication: A Study of One Man One Vote Political Campaign in Nigeria

General elections in Nigeria have always been characterized by violence and wide spread irregularities, such that the peoples vote does not count. Governor Adams Oshiomhole on assumption of office flagged off a campaign for the sanctity of the ballot box, through the ‘one man, one vote’ campaign. It is against this backdrop that this study examined media agenda in the context of one man, one vote. Using The Guardian and The Nigerian Observer newspapers from October 9 to December 31, 2010, as this period was the climax of political campaigns for the 2011 general elections. The study sampled 40% of the publications of the period and discovered from the findings that only The Nigerian observer played up the agenda on front pages while The Guardian did not. In doing this, The Nigeria Observer used advertorial, editorial and feature stories to bring the campaign to front burner of public opinion. The study recommends the use of other media to promote the culture of free and fair elections. Keywords: Agenda Setting, Political Communication, Political Campaign, Elections, Political Violence

The Politics of Issue-Based Political Campaign in Nigeria

This paper explores how Nigerian politicians respond to the flaws that dog political campaigns in a fledgling democracy. The paper identifies three flaws: (1) indiscriminate extension of the voting right to everybody of eighteen years and above (2) absence of balance and fairness in media practice (3) the obsession by the media to practice snippet journalism. The paper investigated how these flaws are implicated in politicians’ proclivity to run campaigns that are not issue-based. To accomplish the investigation, I theoretically sampled newspaper texts of2011 general elections in Nigeria. The texts were presented in a titled table. Critical Discourse Analysis was used to analyze the texts. Analysis provided a ground to hypothesize that indiscriminate extension of voting right to every person of 18 years and above in a fledgling democracy will lead to a situation where majority of the electorates will be naive to a degree that will make politicians to often see no reason to run intelligent, issue-based campaign.

Measles Resurgence Following a Nationwide Measles Vaccination Campaign in Nigeria, 2005–2008

From 1990 through 2008, routine immunization coverage of measles vaccine in Nigeria ranged from 35% to 70%. Nigeria conducted a nationwide measles vaccination campaign in 2 phases during 2005-2006 that targeted children aged 9 months to 14 years; in 2008, a nationwide follow-up campaign that targeted children aged 9 months to 4 years was conducted in 2 phases. Despite these efforts, measles cases continued to occur. This is a descriptive study that reviewed the measles immunization coverage data from administrative, World Health Organization, United Nations Children's Fund, survey, and supplemental immunization activities data. Measles surveillance data were analyzed from case-based surveillance reports. Confirmed measles cases increased from 383 in 2006 to 2542 in 2007 and to 9510 in 2008. Of the confirmed cases in 2008, 717 (30%) occurred in children <2 years of age, 1145 (48%) in children 2-4 years of age, and 354 (14%) were in children 5-14 years of age. In 2008, the measles case fatality rate was 1.2%. Suboptimal routine coverage and the wide interval between the catch-up and follow-up campaigns likely led to an accumulation of children susceptible to measles.

Communication context of Roll Back Malaria and HIV and AIDS campaigns in Nigeria

With malaria endemic and HIV and AIDS transmuting into a pandemic, the disease burden posed by the two have made them the focus of national and global attention. This necessitated a comparative scrutiny of the communication component of the Roll Back Malaria and HIV and AIDS programmes in Nigeria; and the environment and scenarios for communication interventions, with a view to assessing their effectiveness in addressing the need for sustainability and ownership. The analysis highlighted the potential of communication, which in programmatic language is often interchangeably used with its sub-sets which include advocacy, social mobilization and programme communication. While the trend of communication conforms to global templates for such interventions, continuing concerns about morbidity and mortality rates of both diseases despite deployment of enormous resources, personnel and competence, highlight gaps in the effectiveness of strategies and activities. There is a need to reconcile the logic of programme and institutional agendas, and minimum frameworks for achieving local stakeholders’ ownership for communication to successfully catalyze these programmes to achieve the targets of prevention, control and a general reduction of morbidity and mortality deriving from these diseases.

Eradication of Poliovirus: Fighting Fire With Fire

Endemic wild polioviruses have been eliminated from most of the world, and the number of human paralytic cases has been reduced by .99%, from an estimated annual incidence of .500,000 cases to ,2000 cases [1–3]. Circulating wild polioviruses remain endemic in only 2 major locations, Nigeria and a zone extending from northern India west to Pakistan and Afghanistan [1–3]. Furthermore, wild-type 2 poliovirus has been eliminated altogether, with the last documented case reported in northern India in 1999 [4]. These remarkable accomplishments represent a triumph for oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV), composed of attenuated variants of the 3 poliovirus serotypes [5]. OPV is administered by mouth, induces mucosal and humoral immunity, and is relatively inexpensive to produce—attributes that have contributed to its widespread use even in regions with rudimentary health systems. However, OPV has an Achilles heel. The attenuated variants in the vaccine are rapidly replaced by revertant mutants, even on a single passage through the human intestine [6]. The revertant genotype has been mapped to a limited number of point mutations [7, 8], and revertant viruses can be distinguished genetically from wild polioviruses [8]. OPV vaccinees excrete a mix of viruses, some of which are as paralytogenic as wild polioviruses. These excreted viruses, similar to wild polioviruses, are readily transmitted to contacts of vaccinated infants and children by the fecal-oral route. Therefore, after mass OPV vaccination campaigns, the environment is inundated with a mix of excreted viruses, some of which have the disease potential of wild polioviruses. Therefore, the use of OPV could be considered to be an example of fighting fire with fire. The dangers of OPV were recognized during early vaccine trials, and one epidemiologist coined the epigram ‘‘in like a lamb out like a lion’’ [9 p. 1214]. On the basis of meticulous surveillance in the United States, vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis was documented both in vaccinees and their immediate contacts [10–14]. However, vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis in contacts was rare and sporadic, occurring at a rate of 1–2 cases per 1,000,000 primary vaccinations. In retrospect, it is likely that vaccine-derived polioviruses (VDPV) did not spread widely in the United States because most susceptible children were vaccinated with OPV, rendering them resistant to virus shed by their vaccinated contacts. Since 2000, .15 outbreaks of paralytic poliomyelitis caused by circulating VDPV (cVDPV) have been recognized throughout the world [1]. Such outbreaks have shared one epidemiological characteristic. They have occurred in areas where OPV vaccination coverage has been incomplete; thus, .50% of children remained susceptible. Under these circumstances, cVDPV can circulate for many generations, infect large numbers of persons, and cause outbreaks of paralytic poliomyelitis. The article by Wassilak et al [15] in this issue of the Journal and a companion article [16] describe the most significant of these outbreaks of cVDPV. The Nigerian epidemic, in which type 2 VDPV has caused .300 paralytic cases, began in 2005 and has continued through 2010. Because wild-type 2 poliovirus causes only 1 paralytic case per 2000 infections [1], the Nigerian outbreak might represent .600,000 infections with virulent VDPV. Under what circumstances did this outbreak occur? First, similar to other outbreaks of cVDPV, the epidemic was concentrated in the northern region of Nigeria, where there were relatively low rates of OPV vaccination [15]. Second, during 2006–2010, most of the vaccination campaigns in Nigeria used either monovalent or, more recently, bivalent vaccine lacking type 2 OPV. The Received 15 November 2010; accepted 16 November 2010. Potential conflicts of interest: none reported. Reprints or correspondence: Neal Nathanson, MD, Global Health Programs, School of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6021 (nathansn@upenn.edu). The Journal of Infectious Diseases 2011;203:889–90 The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals. permissions@oup.com 1537-6613/2011/2037-0001$15.00 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiq148

Understanding self-appraisal of HIV-infection risk among young adults in Nigeria: evidence from a national survey

A major component of HIV prevention is to encourage individuals to appreciate their personal risk of contracting the virus with the aim of encouraging them to take steps to reduce the risks. This article addresses the accuracy of an individual's risk assessment by matching this with individual's reported risk behaviours in order to assess possible congruence. Although the relationship between risk perception and risk behaviours has been studied by previous authors using cross-sectional studies, this has not been extensively studied using a large nationally representative data set, such as in Nigeria. In our attempt to address this, we classified HIV-risk behaviour into low-risk and high-risk behaviour. We considered both descriptive and inferential approaches in our analyses. The findings were triangulated with qualitative studies using focus group discussions conducted among members of the target group in Nigeria. Dependence of risk perception on some selected background characteristics, HIV/AIDS-knowledge indicators, experience of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), as well as exposure to the Society for Family Health (SFH) radio campaigns in Nigeria were investigated through multiple logistic regression models. Among the respondents with risk behaviours, being single, Christian, male, and listening to the SFH radio campaigns were associated with a higher perception of risk of contracting HIV.

Comparative and International Education: A Bibliography (2008)

Comparative and International Education: A Bibliography (2008)

Religious Opposition to Polio Vaccination

To the Editor: In 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was formed, with the aim of reducing infection with poliomyelitis virus. Two decades later in 2008, a total of 1,625 children contracted acute flaccid paralysis caused by poliovirus infection (1). This finding represented a 150% increase over the number of cases in 2007 (1) and resulted in the reemergence of polio as one of the world’s deadliest infections. As of 2009, polio remains endemic to 4 countries (India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan); in 2008, cases were also detected in 14 other countries. Religious opposition by Muslim fundamentalists is a major factor in the failure of immunization programs against polio in Nigeria (2), Pakistan (3) and Afghanistan (4). This religious conflict in the tribal areas of Pakistan is one of the biggest hindrances to effective polio vaccination. Epidemiologists have detected transmission of wild poliovirus from polio-endemic districts in Afghanistan, most of which are located in the southern region of this country bordering Pakistan, to tribal areas of Pakistan (4). This transmission has resulted in new cases of polio in previously polio-free districts. The local Taliban have issued fatwas denouncing vaccination as an American ploy to sterilize Muslim populations. Another common superstition spread by extremists is that vaccination is an attempt to avert the will of Allah. The Taliban have assassinated vaccination officials, including Abdul Ghani Marwat, who was the head of the government’s vaccination campaign in Bajaur Agency in the Pakistani tribal areas, on his way back from meeting a religious cleric (5). Over the past year, several kidnappings and beatings of vaccinators have been reported. Vaccination campaigns in Nigeria and Afghanistan have also been hampered by Islamic extremists, especially in the Nigerian province of Kano in 2003, which has resulted in the infection returning to 8 previously polio-free countries in Africa (2). Before the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988, a total of 1,000 persons/day were infected with a virus that would cripple them for the rest of their lives (6). To eradicate the disease, 1 major factor will be to gain support of those susceptible to fundamentalist propaganda. Islam is a progressive religion, and religious leaders should be asked to support polio eradication programs. The Imam of the Ka’aba and other influential religious figures should be asked to highlight the plight of children with polio. Vaccinators operating in conflict-ridden areas should be provided protection so that they are better able to perform their duties. Not only will children in these areas be safer, but the disease will not be exported to areas where wild polio transmission has been interrupted by vaccination. Further study of the attitudes of Muslim populations toward vaccination is needed.