Identify and Report: How grassroots informants accelerated the end of polio in Niger state


The state of Niger has the most land mass in all of Nigeria, and as a result people are widespread and difficult to reach with important medical information. Polio in children is a serious issue in Niger, but a steady intervention using a combination of identification and reporting to combat it. Using community leaders, bone setters, spiritual healers, birth attendants, and more, symptoms of polio are identified early on and residents are educated on the disease and treatment. Another strategy gets vaccinations and other health services to over 800 hard-to-reach areas across the state.

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