No new Wild Polio cases reported this week.  We are now 10 weeks since the most recent reported Wild Polio Case – on 2/20/23 in Pakistan. 

What is that Polio Picture?  A child in Sudan is vaccinated against Polio.

WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO GET BACK ON TRACK AND REVERSE THIS DECLINE?

This World Immunization Week — which takes place every year at the end of April — WHO is launching “The Big Catch-Up.” This global push complements the work already happening in many countries to ramp up vaccination efforts. In essence, it aims to do exactly what it sounds like: catch kids up on the vaccines they missed during the pandemic. The Big Catch-Up also has a particular focus on reaching those kids who have never received a single dose of any vaccine. Because of the pandemic, there are 5 million more kids who are completely unprotected from dangerous, deadly diseases. To be most effective, The Big Catch-Up is focusing on those countries that saw the steepest declines during the past few years.

On top of this short-term goal, The Big Catch-Up is designed to help strengthen local health systems so that immunization is integrated into primary health care so we don’t see disruptions on the scale of what we saw with COVID-19 ever again. Lori Sloate, Senior Director for Global Health at the UN Foundation

Attending the Rotary Convention in Melbourne? Melbourne has beautiful parks, gardens, and walking trails — so join us Friday, 26 May, for a leisurely 2.5-kilometer (1.5-mile) End Polio Now Walk. We’ll go from Federation Square in the city centre along the magnificent St Kilda Road and past many of the city’s finest landmarks to the Rotary Melbourne Peace Park in the beautiful Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. At the park, take time to find plaques commemorating Rotary leaders over the years, including Paul Harris.

You are also invited to the PolioPlus breakout session “Delivering on the Dream of a Polio-free World,” scheduled for May 31, from 9:00-10:00 AM. Come to this session, moderated by International PolioPlus Committee Chair Michael McGovern, to hear a global update on the status of polio eradication efforts from WHO Polio Eradication Director Aidan O’Leary and remarks from Past RI President John Germ, RI Director Jessie Harman, and Rotary Foundation Trustee and National PolioPlus Committee Chair in Pakistan Aziz Memon.

A Win Against Polio is a Win for Global Health!

2023 Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Cases – 62 Benin – 2, Central African Republic – 5, Chad – 5, Cite d’ Ivoire – 1, DR Congo – 31, Indonesia – 3, Israel – 1, Madagascar – 9, Mozambique – 3, Nigeria – 1, Somalia – 1

New Polio Cases & Samples This Week – Cote d’ Ivoire – 1  cVDPV2 Case, Madagascar – 8 cVDPV1 Samples.

2022 Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Case Total – 906 Afghanistan – 43, Algeria – 3, Benin – 11 (3 in 2021), Burundi – 1, Cameroon – 3 (3 in 2021), Central African Republic – 5, Chad -44 (0 in 2021), DR Congo – 504 (28 in 2021), Republic of Congo – 1, Eritrea – 1, Ethiopia – 1, Ghana – 3, Indonesia – 1, Israel – 1, Madagascar – 14 (13 in 2021), Malawi – 4, Mali – 2, Mozambique – 22 (2 in 2021), Niger – 15 (18 in 2021), Nigeria – 48 (415 in 2021), Pakistan – 8, Somalia – 5 (1 in 2021), Sudan – 1, Togo – 2, United States – 1, Yemen – 162 (69 in 2021).

2021 Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Cases -689 in 22 Countries.  

2020 Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Cases – 1,113 in 26 countries in 2020.

Quote of the Day

“Our deepest fear isn’t inadequacy. It’s that we’re powerful beyond measure.“

— C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), Acclaimed British author 

The Final Two Polio Endemic Countries:

as of 5/5/2023

0 new Polio cases reported this week. The most recent cases had an onset of paralysis on 8/29/22.
0 WPV1 and 0 CVDPV2-Positive Environmental Samples were reported this week in Afghanistan.
0 Wild Polio cases – 2023
2 Wild Polio case – 2022
4 Wild Polio cases – 2021
56 Wild Polio cases – 2020

Our Goal is Global Polio Eradication!!

Terry Ziegler, Polio Update Newsletter Editor Rotary Region 36