Armed gangs raise risks in vaccinating rural Nigerians

By CHINEDU ASADU
Associated Press

KUJE, Nigeria (AP) — As Nigeria tries to meet an ambitious goal of fully vaccinating 55 million of its 206 million people in the next two months, health care workers in some parts of the country risk their lives to reach the rural population. Some of them must travel without security guards in areas beset by violence from armed gangs who kill or kidnap those on the road. Even in areas without violence, many of these workers receive only paltry compensation — or none at all — for weeks. Dr. Faisal Shuaib, who heads the agency overseeing the vaccination program, admits that challenges exist because of poor planning and coordination.