US embassy cable - 04ABUJA1289

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001289 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W, USAID/W FOR AFR/AA, CONSTANCE NEWMAN, 
AFR/WA, MICHAEL KARBELING, GH/AA, ANN PETERSON, GH/CH, 
SURVIVAL, HOPE SUKIN, OES/IHA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/21/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, EAID, SOCI, NI 
SUBJECT: POLIO:  VACCINATION PROGRAM RAMPING UP? 
 
REF: A. ABUJA 1258 
 
     B. ABUJA 1185 
     C. ABUJA 1132 
     D. ABUJA 971 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOHN CAMPBELL FOR REASONS 1.5 (b) AND (d). 
 
1. (C)  SUMMARY:  Kano Governor Ibrahim Shekarau issued a 
statement authorizing the resumption of the polio vaccination 
program on July 16, saying that he was satisfied as to the 
safety of the vaccine.  It remains unclear whether the 
federal or state government will control the program, but the 
donor community has put its support behind the state. 
Sources at the Ministry of Health say that vaccination will 
begin on July 28, a date which has not been confirmed by Kano 
State government officials.  With the statement, the 
immediate hurdle has been cleared, but the hard part begins: 
convincing people to participate after over a year of 
negative publicity.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U)  After 11 months, Kano State Governor Ibrahim 
Shekarau issued a statement authorizing the resumption of the 
polio vaccination program.  In a statement read on July 16, 
he said that Kano State was "satisfied" that the vaccine was 
safe and requested the Ministry of Health to "begin all 
preparations for the conduct of vaccinations."  He called for 
the vaccinations to begin "as soon as possible." 
 
3.  (U)  It remains unclear whether the federal or state 
government will control the program, but the donor community 
has put its support behind the state.  In a recent meeting, 
donors were firmly behind the decentralization of the 
program, devolving control to state health ministries.  One 
of Shekarau's aides could not confirm to PolOff whether the 
program would be managed by the state or federal program, but 
said he was unconcerned with that detail.  "Everything is 
being prepared to begin, details of management can be sorted 
out later," he said. 
 
4.  (U)  Sources at the Ministry of Health say that 
vaccination will begin on July 28.  Kano State officials 
would only say that vaccinations would begin "soon." 
 
5.  (C)  COMMENT:  With this simple statement, the hurdle 
blocking progress for the past year has been cleared.  The 
negative publicity, distrust of the federal government and 
western donors, and the acrimony over the issue have all been 
in the public eye and suspicions remain at the grassroots 
level.  The hard part begins now: respected leaders must take 
the lead in encouraging mass participation in the program to 
stem the spread of the disease even further afield. 
CAMPBELL