Vaccinator marking a vaccinated child in Pakistan
What is that Polio Picture? This picture shows A vaccinator marking a vaccinated child during the March 2021 NIDs in Punjab district, Pakistan. © WHO/EMRO.
GENEVA, 10 June 2021 – Today, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) will launch the Polio Eradication Strategy 2022-2026: Delivering on a Promise at a virtual event, to overcome the remaining challenges to ending polio, including setbacks caused by COVID-19. While polio cases have fallen 99.9% since 1988, polio remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and persistent barriers to reaching every child with polio vaccines and the pandemic have contributed to an increase in polio cases.
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 – 100 – Afghanistan – 40 (308 in 2020), Angola – 0 (3 in 2020),Benin – 1 (3 in 2020), Burkina Faso – 2 (62 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 (72 in 2020), DRC – 7 (81 in 2020), Ethiopia – 0 (26 in 2020), Ghana – 0 (11 in 2020), Guinea – 5 (44 in 2020), Liberia – 2 (0 in 2020),Madagascar – 4 (2 in 2020), Mali – 0 (48 in 2020), Malaysia – 0 (1 in 2020), Niger – 0 (8 in 2020), Nigeria – 8 (8 in 2020), Pakistan – 8 (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 1,087 Vaccine Derived Polio cases were reported in 26 countries in 2020.
Quote of the Day
“As a global community, we have stood before where we stand today, with Smallpox. The scourge of Smallpox is gone, for which the world is a much better place. Let us make history again. It is time to finish the job of Polio eradication now. Eradicate Polio, and make the world a better place for future generations.”
Professor Alejandro Cravioto
Chair of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization
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. Three WPV1 & CVDPV2 Positive Environmental Sample 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 Samples were reported this week in Afghanistan.
Our Goal is Global Polio Eradication!!
Terry Ziegler, Endowment/Major Gifts Adviser Rotary Region 36
