Somalia: Call to Action Meeting for Polio Outbreak Response
No new Wild Polio case was reported this week.
What is that Polio Picture? On March 21, the Federal Government of Somalia, the World Health Organization (WHO), and members of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) recommitted to stopping the ongoing outbreak of circulating poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in Somalia at a three-day meeting convened in Nairobi, Kenya. High-level delegates at the meeting included HE Fawziya Abikar Nur, Federal Minister of Health and Human Services, Dr. Mamunur Rahman Malik, WHO Representative to Somalia and Head of Mission, alongside senior representation from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Rotary International, Save the Children, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and other UN agencies and partners.
Together, the Government and GPEI partners, which include WHO, UNICEF, the BMGF, CDC, Rotary International, GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, and other key partners endorsed the Somalia Polio Eradication Action Plan 2022 to reaffirm their commitment.
The Somalia Polio Eradication Action Plan 2022 outlines a four-point call to action to stop the spread of the current outbreak, which is one of the longest-lasting cVDPV2 outbreaks to be reported so far.
SAGE April 2022 – Convening this month in Geneva, the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE), the global advisory body to the World Health Organization (WHO) on all things immunization, urged concerted action to finish wild polioviruses once and for all.
The group, reviewing the global wild poliovirus epidemiology, highlighted the unique opportunity, given current record low levels of this strain. At the same time, it noted the continuing risks, highlighted in particular by the detection of wild poliovirus in Malawi in February, linked to wild poliovirus originating in Pakistan.
On circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) outbreaks, SAGE expressed concern at continuing transmission, in particular in Nigeria which now accounts for close to 90% of all global cVDPV type 2 cases, as well as the situation in Ukraine, and its disruption to health services, urging for strengthening of immunization and surveillance across Europe. It also noted the recent detection of cVDPV type 3 in Israel in children, and in environmental samples in occupied Palestinian territories, urged high-quality vaccination activities, and strengthened surveillance.
Preparing for the post-certification era, the group underscored the importance of global cessation of all live, attenuated oral polio vaccine (OPV) use from routine immunization, planned one year after global certification of wild poliovirus eradication. To ensure appropriate planning, coordination, and implementation, the group endorsed the establishment of an ‘OPV Cessation Team’, to consist of wider-than-GPEI stakeholder participation and ensure leadership on all aspects of OPV cessation.
Ukraine
Rotarians have two weeks to support a unique opportunity to help the over three million refugees fleeing their homes in Ukraine due to the proximity of Rotary Clubs in and around the borders of Ukraine.
All Rotarians are encouraged to donate to The Rotary Foundation’s Ukraine Disaster Response Fund between now and April 30, 2022. Donate at https://my.rotary.org/en/disaster-response-fund
Rotary statement on the effect of the continuing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and on polio eradication efforts.
A Win Against Polio is a Win for Global Health!
2022 Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Case Total – 34. DR Congo – 16 (28 in 2021), Israel – 1, Madagascar – 1 (12 in 2021), Nigeria – 15 (415 in 2021), Somalia – 1 (1 in 2021).
2021 Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Cases – 659 – Afghanistan – 43 (308 in 2020), Angola – 0 (3 in 2020),Benin – 2 (3 in 2020), Burkina Faso – 1 (65 in 2020), Cameroon – 3 (7 in 2020), CAR – 0 (4 in 2020), Chad – 0 (99 in 2020), Congo – 2 (2 in 2020), Cote d’ Ivoire – 0 (64 in 2020), DR Congo – 28 (81 in 2020), Ethiopia – 10 (36 in 2020), Ghana – 0 (11 in 2020), Guinea – 6 (44 in 2020), Guinea Bissau – 3 (0 on 2020), Liberia – 3 (0 in 2020),Madagascar – 13 (2 in 2020), Mali – 0 (52 in 2020), Malaysia – 0 (1 in 2020), Mozambique – 2, Niger – 17 (10 in 2020), Nigeria – 415 (8 in 2020), Pakistan – 8 (135 in 2020), Philippines – 0 (1 in 2020), Senegal – 17 (0 in 2020) ,Sierra Leone – 5 (10 in 2020), Somalia – 1 (14 in 2020), South Sudan – 9 (50 in 2020), Sudan – 0 (58 in 2020), Tajikistan – 32 (1 in 2020), Togo – 0 (9 in 2020), Ukraine – 2 (0 in 2020), and Yemen – 32 cVDPV2 + 3 cVDPV1 (33 in 2020).
New This Week – Israel – 4 cVDPV3 Samples, Nigeria – 1 cVDPV2 Case + 4 cVDPV2 Samples.
A total of 1,110 Vaccine Derived Polio cases were reported in 26 countries in 2020.
Quote of the Day
“If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you’ll learn things you never knew you never knew.“
— from “Colors of the Wind. POCAHONTAS”
The Final Two Polio Endemic Countries:
Pakistan
0 new Polio cases were reported this week.
0 Wild Polio cases – 2022 (1 Wild Polio case, 2021). The most recent case had an onset of paralysis on 1/27/21.
84 Wild Polio cases – 2020. No WPV1 or cVDPV2 Positive Environmental Samples were reported this week in Pakistan.
Afghanistan
0 new Polio cases reported this week.
1 Wild Polio case – 2022, (4 Wild Polio cases, 2021). The most recent cases had an onset of paralysis on 1/11/22.
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
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