Now, the government of Nigeria is working with the WHO and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative to improve surveillance systems and conduct large-scale polio immunization programs. According to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, this indicates that this particular strain has been circulating silently for five years. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative launched in 1988, at which point 125 countries were affected by polio and the virus paralyzed 150,000 people each year, according to Zaffran. "There's been a breakdown of trust between the government and communities," said Sona Bari, a WHO spokeswoman on polio eradication . Sixty percent of polio cases at the end of 2013 were due to international travel, and evidence suggested this was aided by adult travelers to affected regions.

Source: CNN August 16, 2016 12:22 UTC