Nigeria one-year anniversary media coverage as of July 24

• Associated Press: Nigeria Celebrates 1 Year With No New Polio Cases by Michelle Faul (July 24)
  • A strong, on-message article featuring interviews with Rotary’s Dr. Tunji Funsho and Oyewale Tomori, who highlights the importance of surveillance, and says that “It will take another two extra years of no polio to be polio-free and that is why we cannot relax… on no account must we lose focus and take our eye off the polio radar.”
  • Picked up by The New York Times, ABC News, CBC, Huffington Post, US News & World Report  

• AFP: Nigeria marks one year since last polio case by Phil Hazlewood  (July 24)

• The article provides excellent points from Ado Muhammad, who warns against complacency, reiterating that “our aim is not just interruption but eradication,” and Oyewale Tomori, who maintains “we still have two years in which we need to keep polio out.” Michael Galway and Tunji Funsho are also quoted.
• Picked up by Yahoo News, France 24

• The New York Times: Your Friday Briefing (July 24)
  • The NYT’s daily news round-up notes Nigeria’s milestone and links to Kate Kelland’s Reuters piece.
• BBC: Nigeria marks one year without recorded polio case (July 24)

• Covers the basics of the status of polio eradication in Nigeria and globally and provides background on the disease.

• Reuters: Nigeria marks polio-free year, raising global eradication hopes by Kate Kelland (July 24)

• Details the history of Nigeria’s fight against polio, and highlights the pressure now on Afghanistan and Pakistan to end polio.
• Features Oyewale Tomori and Carol Pandak with excellent quotes marking the significance of the milestone but warning against premature celebration.
• Picked up by Fox News, Business Insider, Guardian and featured in The New York Times: Morning Wrap-Up

• Times of Malta: Polio-free world forever by Ravi Ravindran (July 24)

• An op-ed that highlights the importance of continued investment in the global polio eradication effort by CHOGM countries, especially at the upcoming CHOGM conference in Malta.

• Popular Science: It’s Cause For Excitement, But There’s More Work Ahead by Brooke Borel (July 24)

• Summarizes Nigeria’s progress and features quotes from Carol Pandak and Tunji Funsho, who both note that this is an important milestone but only the first step in the process.

Deutsche Welle: Nigeria marks one year free from polio by Susan Houlton (July 24)

• Highlights progress and notes that experts are warning against complacency.
• Dr. Ado is quoted at length throughout the article on what Nigeria must still do to become polio-free and says “for us in Nigeria an exciting moment, the work is not yet finished because our goal is eradication, not only interruption.” He also calls for funding to be maintained.

The Lancet Global Health Blog: Eradicating polio from Nigeriaby Hamid Jafari  (July 24)

• Blog by Hamid Jafari who praises the work of those involved in Nigeria’s polio eradication efforts while also urging leaders to remain alert so Nigeria can maintain its record of zero polio cases.

TIME: This is how Nigeria beat polio by Jeffrey Kluger (July 24)

• Article summarizes Nigeria’s progress against polio over the last decade and includes quotes from Tunji Funsho and Oliver Rosenbauer, as well as highlights Rotary’s work.
• Discusses what Nigeria milestone means for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

• Bloomberg: Nigeria Marks Gates-Backed Polio Feat as Survivors Neglected  by Yinka Ibukun  (July 24)

• Notes the milestone’s significance and what Nigeria must do to end polio with a particular focus on the needs of polio survivors and the importance of rehabilitation.
• Quotes Melissa Corkum who emphasizes the need for careful monitoring and surveillance in the coming months.

• Scientific American Blog: Polio Nearly Eradicated in Nigeria, Pushing Disease to Brink of Extinction by Mark Farmer (July 24)

• This guest blog begins with discussion of the Nigeria milestone and details the challenges that still remain in the polio eradication effort, then shifts focus to Pakistan.

Daily Trust: Nigeria Inches Toward Polio-Free Status   (July 24)

• A short piece emphasizing Ado Muhammad’s statement that “achieving one year without polio is just one of the hurdles the country needs to surmount before being certified polio free in 2017.”

Houston Chronicle: Rotary clubs played major part in Nigeria’s polio-free milestone by Markian Hawryluk (July 23)

• Highlights Rotary’s integral role in achieving the zero polio case count record in Nigeria, featuring Michael Galway and CDC’s Dr. Steve Cochi.

World Economic Forum: Will polio be eradicated by 2020? By Donald Armbrecht (July 23)

• A concise piece highlighting that continued surveillance and immunization efforts should be maintained so that polio can be eradicated by 2020.

 

Broadcast Coverage:

• Al Jazeera: Nigeria marks one year since last Polio case (July 24)
  • Polio was a headline on Al Jazeera today. The recorded segment featured Ayuba Gufwan, polio survivor and head of Wheelchairs for Nigeria, a community leader and Melissa Corkum in a perfectly messaged piece that underlined that the job isn’t done. Hamid was subsequently interviewed about the progress and what it means for Pakistan, but that piece is not on the online segment.
• CNN: (July 24 – online clip unavailable)
  • Dr. Sanjay Gupta went to northern Nigeria and interviewed a health worker on how they’re stopping polio and ensuring no child is missed.
  • Great clip that highlights the challenges Nigeria has overcome, the difficulties ahead and the importance of cautious optimism.

Nigeria one-year anniversary media coverage as of July 24 was originally published on Theodora Ibekwe-Oyebade Blog