Dear polio eradication supporter, Catch up on the latest polio eradication activities around the world this month in Polio News.
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Dear polio eradication supporter,
The Polio Oversight Board (POB) of the GPEI - meaning the heads of all the core partner organizations - visited Pakistan in the last week of November. The delegation observed the large-scale Measles-Rubella campaign in which children under 15 years were vaccinated against measles and rubella, while those under five received polio drops. The POB also met with top-level leadership and attended a National Task Force meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan. In Quetta, Peshawar and Karachi, they met with provincial and district officials as well as frontline teams working in high-risk areas. Pakistan is reporting historically low levels of wild poliovirus transmission this year. This was the POB’s second visit to the country, following one in June that coincided with the launch of the Polio Eradication Strategy 2022–2026.
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Strong campaigns halt polio in Tajikistan
In response to an outbreak of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in the past year, Tajikistan set out to vaccinate children across the country against polio. After three rounds of immunization that reached 99% of children under six with novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), no cases of polio have been detected in the country. See why these positive results demonstrate the importance of coordinating high-quality vaccination campaigns in order to stop outbreaks.
Polio, measles and a campaign making history
Built into one of the largest vaccination campaigns in history against measles and rubella, Pakistan also aims to protect children under five against poliovirus in an integrated effort launched this past month. By incorporating polio activities into other essential health programs, the Pakistan government is working with Gavi, UNICEF, WHO and other partners to mobilize nearly 400 000 health workers and ensure that communities across the country are safe from these vaccine-preventable diseases.
Teamwork to take on polio in Lagos
Nigeria was the last country in Africa to eliminate wild polio, but today community mobilizers are teaming up to stop another persistent foe: cVDPV2. By organizing across every level of Lagos’ communities, health workers and social mobilizers have traveled door-to-door to ensure that every child is protected against paralysis. They hope to share a message of zero tolerance on polio, setting an example for other communities in Nigeria and beyond.
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POLIO IN NUMBERS
Wild Poliovirus in 2021 (2020)*
Global Total: 4 (135)
Circulating Vaccine Derived Poliovirus in 2021 (2020)*
Global Total: 465 (682)
*Data as of 23 November 2021. Numbers in brackets represent data at this time in 2020.
Breakdown by country
Polio this week
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POLIO IN THE NEWS
Al Jazeera: WHO, UNICEF launch new polio vaccination campaign in Afghanistan
BMJ Global Health: Vaccine hesitancy: Perspective from the global polio eradication program in Balochistan
The Telegraph: COVID lockdowns give Pakistan its greatest chance yet to eradicate polio
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UNICEF would like to thank Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for its generous contributions of US$ 48 099 998 to support polio eradication efforts in Pakistan, outbreak and surge support and community engagement activities.
UNICEF would like to thank the UN Foundation for its generous contribution of US$ 1 654 208 to fund the purchase of vaccines for upcoming campaigns in Chad and Syria.
WHO met recently with Luxembourg and the UK to discuss the new Eradication Strategy, especially progress in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
WHO thanks the Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare for its generous contribution of US$ 100 000 for vaccine research activities.
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A health worker marks children’s pinkies in Tajikistan after administering polio vaccine. No polio cases have been detected in the country since the third round of its vaccination campaign. © GPEI
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