Six international locations reported extra polio instances this week, together with Afghanistan and Pakistan with extra wild poliovirus kind 1 (WPV1) instances, in line with the newest weekly replace from the World Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).
Afghanistan reported 2 new WPV1 instances, 1 in Kandahar and the opposite in Hilmand, placing its whole at 11 for the yr. Pakistan reported 3 extra instances, 2 in Balochistan and 1 in Punjab, boosting its quantity to 12 for 2024. Each international locations have already doubled the variety of instances they reported in 2023.
Elsewhere, 4 African international locations reported instances involving circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus kind 2 (cVDPV2). The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) reported 2 instances, each in Maindombe. Ethiopia reported a case in Gambella, boosting its whole to 12 for the yr. Nigeria additionally reported 1 extra case, in Jigawa, lifting its whole to 38. South Sudan reported 1 case in Higher Nile, making 7 infections for 2024.
WHO making ready polio vaccine marketing campaign for Gaza
At a World Well being Group (WHO) briefing this week, Director-Normal Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, mentioned that, following the detection of polio in wastewater samples from Gaza, the WHO is making ready polio vaccination campaigns and is sending greater than 1 million doses to be administer within the weeks forward.
He mentioned the group is mourning the sudden demise of Aidan O’Leary, who was director of the WHO’s Polio Eradication Program. Tedros mentioned that, earlier than O’Leary died whereas on trip together with his household, he was engaged on a plan for 2 rounds of polio vaccination in Gaza focusing on 600,000 youngsters youthful than 8 years previous.
“We’d like absolute freedom of motion for well being employees and medical tools to hold out these complicated operations safely and successfully,” Tedros mentioned. “A ceasefire, or at the least ‘days of tranquility’ throughout preparation and supply of the vaccination campaigns are required to guard youngsters in Gaza from polio.”
