Th
e effort to eradicate polio from the planet and deliver Rotary’s promise to the children continues to be a challenge. The weekly polio eradication report of October 23rd, indicated that there are thus far in 2019 94 cases of polio worldwide caused by the wild poliovirus. Afghanistan has seen 18 cases compared to 21 in all of 2018. Pakistan has stumbled significantly, recording 76 cases compared to 12 in all of 2018. Despite having gone three (3) years without a case of polio, Nigeria is still considered an endemic country along with Afghanistan and Pakistan. Nigeria has never stopped circulation of the indigenous wild poliovirus and is currently infected by circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2.
e effort to eradicate polio from the planet and deliver Rotary’s promise to the children continues to be a challenge. The weekly polio eradication report of October 23rd, indicated that there are thus far in 2019 94 cases of polio worldwide caused by the wild poliovirus. Afghanistan has seen 18 cases compared to 21 in all of 2018. Pakistan has stumbled significantly, recording 76 cases compared to 12 in all of 2018. Despite having gone three (3) years without a case of polio, Nigeria is still considered an endemic country along with Afghanistan and Pakistan. Nigeria has never stopped circulation of the indigenous wild poliovirus and is currently infected by circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2.This week there were 102 cases of circulating vaccine derived poliovirus reported thus far in 2019. Sixteen of these cases were in endemic countries and 86 in non endemic countries. The year 2018 saw a total of 104 cVDPV2 cases.
Along with the three endemic countries mentioned above, there are 14 outbreak countries that have experienced cases of cVDPV2 case and 13 key at risk countries. Our job is not done and the need for vigilance is high.
There is however some good news this month.
Wild poliovirus type 3 (WPV3) has been declared as globally eradicated.
At an event held on World Polio Day 2019, Professor David Salisbury, chair of the independent Global Commission for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication (GCC), presented the official certificate of WPV3 eradication to WHO Director General Dr Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Read more about this landmark declaration.
Summary of new viruses(AFP cases and ES positives) this week: Afghanistan— two WPV1 cases and six positive environmental samples; Pakistan— four WPV1 cases and six WPV1-positive environmental samples; Nigeria— two cVDPV2 positive environmental samples. Chad— one cVDPV2 case; Benin— one cVDPV2 case; the Democratic Republic of the Congo— one cVDPV2 case; Ghana— one cVDPV2 case and three cVDPV2 positive environmental samples; Ethiopia— one cVDPV2 case: Togo— one cVDPV2 case: Zambia— one cVDPV2 case.