What is that Polio Picture? A child is vaccinated in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Earlier this week, Rotary issued this statement – Statement on polio eradication activities in Afghanistan:
In 2021, despite internal conflicts and a global pandemic, Afghanistan is seeing unprecedentedly low transmission of wild polio, with just one case reported this year. Not only has the country seen a drastic reduction in cases of wild polio, polio surveillance data confirms this progress and significantly less virus is being detected in the environment. As conflict in Afghanistan quickly evolves, we must advocate for the children of Afghanistan. The polio program must work and communicate with all stakeholders involved to ensure that polio immunization remains a priority so that the gains we have made against polio do not diminish. We look forward to working with our polio eradication partners and the Afghani people to completely eradicate polio.
A Win Against Polio is a Win for Global Health!
2021 Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Cases – 204 – Afghanistan – 43 (308 in 2020), Angola – 0 (3 in 2020),Benin – 2 (3 in 2020), Burkina Faso – 1 (65 in 2020), Cameroon – 0 (7 in 2020), CAR – 0 (4 in 2020), Chad – 0 (99 in 2020), Congo – 2 (2 in 2020), Cote d’ Ivoire – 0 (61 in 2020), DRC – 10 (81 in 2020), Ethiopia – 7 (36 in 2020), Ghana – 0 (11 in 2020), Guinea – 6 (44 in 2020), Liberia – 3 (0 in 2020),Madagascar – 6 (2 in 2020), Mali – 0 (50 in 2020), Malaysia – 0 (1 in 2020), Niger – 0 (10 in 2020), Nigeria – 94 (8 in 2020), Pakistan – 8 (135 in 2020), Philippines – 0 (1 in 2020), Senegal – 13 (0 in 2020) ,Sierra Leone – 4 (10 in 2020), Somalia – 0 (13 in 2020), South Sudan – 9 (50 in 2020), Sudan – 0 (58 in 2020),Tajikistan – 23 (1 in 2020), Togo – 0 (9 in 2020), and Yemen – 3 (33 in 2020).
A total of 1,105 Vaccine Derived Polio cases were reported in 26 countries in 2020.
Quote of the Day
“When we focus on small, incremental improvements instead of perfection, the human spirit takes over, and all things become much more possible.”
from Organize Tomorrow Today by Jason Selk & Tom Bartow
The Final Two Polio Endemic Countries:
Pakistan
0 new Polio cases reported this week.
1 Wild Polio cases – 2021. The most recent case had an onset of paralysis on 1/27/21.
84 Wild Polio cases – 2020. One WPV1 & CVDPV2 Positive Environmental Samples was reported this week in Pakistan.
Afghanistan
0 new Polio cases reported this past week.
1 Wild Polio case – 2021. The most recent cases had an onset of paralysis on 1/1/21.
56 Wild Polio cases – 2020. No WPV1 & CVDPV2-Positive Environmental Sample were reported this week in Afghanistan.
Our Goal is Global Polio Eradication!!
Terry Ziegler, Endowment/Major Gifts Adviser Rotary Region 36
