What is that Polio Picture? This picture shows a child in Pakistan having her pinkie finger marked – post Polio vaccination.
Bears Repeating – Exceptional Progress! “For the first time, all of the sites that undertake environmental testing for the wild poliovirus in Pakistan and in Afghanistan near the border have concurrently shown no presence of the wild polio virus. This is a sign of tremendous progress in the 35 plus year effort to eradicate polio. We have also gone 14 weeks without a wild poliovirus case. There have been just 4 cases of the wild polio virus in the last six months. We have seen 2 wild polio cases since January 1st. Certainly, we will likely see more cases and we will later find positive samples of wild polio virus in the environment, but this is a good sign we are definitely getting closer. It is remarkably similar to what we saw in India a decade ago. And we are also seeing fewer vaccine derived cases than we saw last year. With all the world’s challenges, it is heartening to have good news.”
Michael K. McGovern, International Polio Plus Committee Chair
A Win Against Polio is a Win for Global Health!
How Many Children have we saved from the paralysis of Polio?
That number has now reached 20 Million! That’s a number to celebrate and to share!
2021 Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Cases – 84 – Afghanistan – 38 (308 in 2020), Angola – 0 (3 in 2020),Benin – 1 (3 in 2020), Burkina Faso – 0 (62 in 2020), Cameroon – 0 (7 in 2020), CAR – 0 (4 in 2020), Chad – 0 (99 in 2020), Congo – 1 (2 in 2020), Cote d’ Ivoire – 0 (72 in 2020), DRC – 2 (81 in 2020), Ethiopia – 0 (26 in 2020), Ghana – 0 (11 in 2020), Guinea – 5 (44 in 2020), Liberia – 2 (0 in 2020),Madagascar – 1 (2 in 2020), Mali – 0 (47 in 2020), Malaysia – 0 (1 in 2020), Niger – 0 (8 in 2020), Nigeria – 6 (8 in 2020), Pakistan – 7 (135 in 2020), Philippines – 0 (1 in 2020), Senegal – 4 (0 in 2020) ,Sierra Leone – 4 (10 in 2020), Somalia – 0 (13 in 2020), South Sudan – 6 (50 in 2020), Sudan – 0 (58 in 2020), Tajikistan – 6 (1 in 2020), Togo – 0 (9 in 2020), and Yemen – 2 (33 in 2020).
A total of 1,086 Vaccine Derived Polio cases were reported in 26 countries in 2020.
Quote of the Day
“I believe we can change the world, one life at a time. No project is too small or insignificant, especially to those who benefit. My hope is that these seeds of service will blossom and live on for countless generations to come.” – Bhichai Rattakul, RI President 2002-03
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. No WPV1 & CVDPV2 Positive Environmental Samples were 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 Samples were reported this week in Afghanistan.
Our Goal is Global Polio Eradication!!
Terry Ziegler, Endowment/Major Gifts Adviser Rotary Region 36
