The World Health Organization announced on Friday that Nigeria has been removed from the list of polio endemic countries, a key step in the eradication of the disease.
The organization said Nigeria had gone more than a year without a recorded case of naturally occurring polio virus. Once Nigeria has gone three years without reporting a case of the virus, the country can be declared polio-free.
According to VOA, The Global Polio Eradication Initiative, the public-private partnership that is leading the effort to eradicate polio, called the development a “historic achievement.”
The president of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Chris Elias, hailed the achievement in Nigeria as a milestone but said the accomplishment “is also fragile.”
Experts warn that continued success in the battle against polio depends on the continuation of vaccination campaigns and the close monitoring of suspected cases.