Polio program provides assistance to Measles effort Afghanistan
What is that Polio Picture? The Polio program provides vital assistance to Measles effort in Afghanistan.
With more than twenty years’ experience on the ground in Afghanistan, WHO’s polio eradication programme continues to leverage its extensive operational capacity to deliver better health outcomes for all Afghans, including providing vital support to the recent nationwide measles vaccination campaign.
Measles outbreaks were reported across Afghanistan throughout 2022, with more than 5,000 cases and an estimated 300 deaths reported by November. Complications from the measles virus include severe diarrhea and dehydration, pneumonia, ear and eye complications, encephalitis or swelling of the brain, permanent disability and death. Most cases are children under the age of 5 years. Like Polio, there is no treatment for measles, the only reliable protection is vaccination.
While a series of sub national measles vaccination campaigns took place in 2022 reaching approximately three million children in 141 districts, the nationwide campaign from November 26 to December 5 represented the first national measles drive since the political transition in August 2021. The campaign covered 329 districts in all 34 provinces, vaccinating 5.36 million children aged between from 9 to 59 months against measles. 6.1 million children between 0 to 59 months received oral polio vaccine.
WHO’s polio eradication program has significant reach in Afghanistan, with a presence in every district in the country. The polio program leveraged this presence to recruit vaccinators, organize vaccination sites, and train campaign staff. With longstanding relationships with local authorities, the polio program assisted in the selection of local schools, clinics, or mosques to serve as vaccinations sites. The program’s established relationships with health institutions and communities enabled polio staff to recruit local health workers and other staff to fill the roles of measles vaccinators and provide training. Sharing their experience of implementing polio vaccination campaigns helped measles vaccinators prepare and plan for the task ahead.
The detection of measles cases and collection of data by WHO’s extensive polio surveillance network also played a crucial role in providing evidence-based planning for the campaign. WHO’s polio program also provided logistical support, transporting measles and polio vaccines, ensuring the cold chain was maintained and vaccines were delivered to every district. Polio staff played additional roles in campaign monitoring and supervision.
“Measles is a highly contagious disease. WHO Afghanistan is very proud of its work immunizing and protecting children against both measles and polio in this campaign,” said Dr Luo Dapeng, WHO Representative in Afghanistan. “I am very grateful to all health workers, partners and donors who made this possible.”
World Immunization Week – April 24-30, 2023
A Win Against Polio is a Win for Global Health!
One new (2023) Wild Polio case reported this week. We are now 4 weeks since the most recent reported Wild Polio Case – on 2/20/22 in Pakistan.
2023 Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Cases – 31, Benin – 1, Central African Republic – 5, Chad – 4, DR Congo – 10, Indonesia – 3, Israel – 1, Madagascar – 5, Nigeria – 1, Somalia – 1.
New Polio Cases & Samples This Week – Afghanistan – 1 WPV1 Sample, CAR – 5 cVDPV2 Cases, Chad – 2 cVDPV2 Cases, DR Congo – 7 cVDPV2 Cases + 3 cVDPV1 Cases, Madagascar – 3 cVDPV1 Samples, Nigeria – 2 cVDPV2 Samples.
2022 Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Case Total – 838 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 – 461 (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 – 21 (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
“I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures“
— Lao Tzu
The Final Two Polio Endemic Countries:
Pakistan
as of 4/1/2023
0 new Polio cases reported this week. The most recent cases had an onset of paralysis on 2/20/23.
0 WPV1 and 0 CVDPV2-Positive Environmental Samples were reported this week in Afghanistan.
1 Wild Polio cases – 2023
20 Wild Polio cases – 2022
1 Wild Polio case – 2021
84 Wild Polio cases – 2020
Afghanistan
as of 4/1/2023
0 new Polio cases reported this week. The most recent cases had an onset of paralysis on 9/10/22.
1 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, Endowment/Major Gifts Adviser Rotary Region 36
