{"id":7997,"date":"2013-08-09T02:40:15","date_gmt":"2013-08-09T02:40:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/disnaija.com\/nigerian-newspapers\/31-new-cases-in-nigeria-others-dent-polio-eradication-campaign-2\/"},"modified":"2013-08-09T02:40:15","modified_gmt":"2013-08-09T02:40:15","slug":"31-new-cases-in-nigeria-others-dent-polio-eradication-campaign-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disnaija.com\/31-new-cases-in-nigeria-others-dent-polio-eradication-campaign-2\/","title":{"rendered":"31 new cases in Nigeria, others dent polio eradication campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Govt plans campaign for northern states in September<\/strong><\/p>\n

THE global plan to eradicate polio by 2015 is looking more illusory with the confirmation of 24 new cases in the Horn of Africa (Somalia and Kenya) last week, and five more cases this week.<\/p>\n

   According to the Weekly Polio Update published by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), the number of global polio cases by August 6, 2013 was 177 compared to 223 by the same period last year. Somalia and Kenya did not report any case last year, but interestingly, Chad and Niger, which reported five and one case, respectively, are yet to record any this year.<\/p>\n

   Also, Nigeria has recorded two new Type One Wild Polio Virus (WPV1) cases in the past week, bringing the total for 2013 to 42; one of the newly reported cases was the most recent WPV1 in the country with the outset of paralysis on July 14.<\/p>\n

   To address the situation, the Federal Government, through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and with technical support from the World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Rotary International, among others, will hold the next sub-national Immunization Plus Days (IPDs) across the northern states in September. <\/p>\n

   According to the Weekly Polio Update, \u201cfive new WPV1 cases were reported in the past week (all from Somalia), bringing the total of WPV1 cases in the region to 110 (100 from Somalia and 10 from Kenya). The most recent WPV1 case in the region had outset of paralysis on July 10, from Somalia.<\/p>\n

   \u201cTwo of the newly reported cases are from Lower Shabelle areas that are inaccessible due to insecurity,\u201d the report read. \u201cSpecial strategies continue to be implemented for these areas, including increased local-level access negotiations, immunising older age groups and setting up vaccination posts at entry\/exit points of inaccessible areas.<\/p>\n

   \u201cImmunisation campaigns across the Horn of Africa, including in Ethiopia and Yemen, are continuing in the second half of August.\u201d  <\/p>\n

   About Nigeria, the report read that, \u201cno new circulating Vaccine-Derived Polio Virus two (cVDPV2) cases were reported in the past week. The total number of cVDPV2 cases for 2013 remains one (with outset of paralysis on June 6 from Borno). <\/p>\n

   \u201cThough this cVDPV2 case is linked to cVDPV2 currently circulating in Chad, which has also been detected in Cameroun, cVDPV2 linked to this transmission chain had previously been isolated from an environmental sample in Kano in March, indicating circulation in Nigeria.<\/p>\n

   \u201cFollowing a new risk-classification of Local Government Areas (LGAs), aimed at improving the delivery of resources to areas where they are most needed, tailored approaches are being implemented in LGAs where performance has stalled, LGAs where performance has decreased and LGAs where access to populations is compromised due to insecurity.\u201d<\/p>\n

   According to the report, strengthened efforts are being made across all areas to track the direct engagement and oversight by council chairpersons. It noted: \u201cThe engagement of communities, traditional and religious leaders, is continuing to be fostered. <\/p>\n

   \u201cThe Volunteer Community Mobiliser Network continues to be expanded, and social data analysis is expected to provide further understanding for children being chronically missed.\u201d<\/p>\n

   Operational plans for insecure areas feature the introduction of Permanent Health Teams (PHTs), conducting wall-fencing vaccinations around insecure areas, expanding transit vaccinations, implementing Short Interval Additional Dose (SIAD) campaigns and engaging non-traditional partners.<\/p>\n

   In a guest article on AllAfrica.com, Chair of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunisation (SAGE), Dr. Helen Rees, commented that while the Horn of Africa outbreak was a setback, full support must be given to the new Polio Eradication and Endgame Strategic Plan 2013-2018. <\/p>\n

   \u201cCases such as the ones in the Horn of Africa would occur in vulnerable settings during the final push for eradication, and Rees underscores that the new strategic plan features all elements needed to achieve success, including both aggressive measures to tackle the disease in the remaining endemic areas and new outbreak response mechanisms,\u201d the GPEI report read.<\/p>\n

   The plan, however, has one important caveat: \u201cIt must be funded upfront. A fully funded plan ensures that trade-offs are not made in emergency situations. Full funding gives the flexibility to effectively respond to outbreaks while continuing to prioritise intensive efforts in the three endemic countries. The world has a plan to end polio. It\u2019s working and we must stand behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n

   In Pakistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) remains the major poliovirus reservoir in the country. Virus transmission in FATA is threatening the progress achieved elsewhere in the country and in neighbouring Afghanistan. <\/p>\n

   An analysis of vaccination status of non-polio acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases suggests that over half of children in FATA remain under-immunized, with as many as 40 per cent never having received a single dose of oral polio vaccine (OPV).<\/p>\n

   In Israel, a supplementary immunisation activity (SIA) with OPV is being conducted this week, targeting 200,000 children aged two months to 10 years in the southern part of the country. The move follows isolation of WPV1 from sewage samples collected from 20 sampling sites since February. No case of paralytic polio has been reported. <\/p>\n

   While Israel has high vaccination coverage with inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), the objective of the OPV SIA is to boost mucosal immunity levels to rapidly interrupt virus circulation.<\/p>\n

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Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. <\/a>A DisNaija.Com<\/a> network.<\/p>\n

Source: Guardian Newspaper<\/p>\n

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