30/03/2019
Dear Polio Eradication Warriors,
No new Wild Polio cases reported this week. See attached report.
What is that Polio Eradication Picture? Today's Picture - Is about Looking for unvaccinated children in Polio eradication campaigns.
A key strategy of the polio vaccination is to go back to communities after the vaccination campaign to look for unvaccinated children missed by the vaccination teams. This is usually conducted by independent monitors who come to houses, schools, markets, transit points, churches and crowded places. They check children's finger marks to determine if they have been vaccinated. This strategy ensures that no child is missed, or left behind. In Papa New Guinea, these independent monitors are usually composed of WHO polio experts deployed to all the provinces.
The National Philanthropic Trust recently granted more than US$22 million in funding to WHO to support outbreak activities, replenishing the monovalent oral polio vaccine stockpile, the deployment of consultants to high-risk countries, and support for supplemental immunization activities in DRC, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger.
Vaccine Derived Polio Cases - Papua New Guinea, Kenya, SYRIA, SOMALIA, Niger, Nigeria, Mozambique, Indonesia, & DRC - Vaccine Derived Polio Cases reported in 2019 - 2: Indonesia - 0 (0 in 2018). Papua New Guinea - 0 (26 in 2018). Nigeria - 2 (1 New Vaccine Derived Polio case reported this week) (34 in 2018) Niger - 0 (10 in 2018). Somalia - 0 (13 in 2018). DRC - 0 (20 in 2018). Mozambique - 0 - Following cyclone Idai’s landfall in Mozambique, accessibility in many areas remains a challenge, particularly Beira City. However, outside of Beira, polio outbreak response is ongoing in Zambezia. (1 in 2018) One hundred and four Vaccine Derived Polio cases were reported in 2018.
Quote of the Day - “I get by with a little help from my friends." - The Beatles
The Final Three Endemic Countries:
Pakistan - No new Polio cases reported this week. Four Polio cases reported in 2019 - the most recent case was from the Bannu District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province with an onset of paralysis on 01/20/19. In 2018, 1.6 million children were vaccinated at 380 transit posts along the Pakistan/Afghanistan border. Pakistan reported twelve Wild Polio cases in 2018. Seven new Polio-Positive Environmental Samples were reported this week in Pakistan.
Afghanistan - No new Polio cases reported this week. Two Polio cases reported in 2019. The most recent case was from the Boldak District, Kandahar Province with an onset of paralysis on 01/12/19. Afghanistan reported twenty-one Wild Polio cases in 2018. Five new Polio-Positive Environmental Samples were reported this week in Afghanistan.
Nigeria - No Wild Polio cases have been reported in 2017, 2018, or 2019. The most recent Polio case was reported on 8/20/16. Nigeria is to be congratulated on 2-1/2 years without a Wild Polio case!
Our Goal is Global Polio Eradication!!
Terry Ziegler, Rotary District 5890 Polio Eradication Chair & Zone 21B/27 ARRFC
