Amin Tudun-Wada, polio survivor

Amin Tudun-Wada, polio survivor

No new Wild Polio case was reported this week.

What is that Polio Picture? Amin Tudun-Wada, a polio survivor, founder of the Polio Survivors Group (PSG) in Kano State,Nigeria, and founder of a tricycle company dedicated to ensuring mobility for polio survivors. ©Amin Tudun-Wada

Ukraine

All Rotarians are asked and 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 escalating crisis in Ukraine on polio eradication efforts

 A Win Against Polio is a Win for Global Health!

2022 Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Case Total – 9 DR Congo – 3 (26 in 2021), Israel – 1, Madagascar – 1 (12 in 2021), Nigeria – 3 (415 in 2021), Somalia – 1 (1 in 2021).

2021 Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Cases – 638 – 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 – 15 (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 – 13 (33 in 2020).

New This Week – DR Congo – 3 vCVDP2 Cases (1 in 2021, 2 in 2022), Nigeria – 1 cVDPV2 Case (2022).

A total of 1,110 Vaccine Derived Polio cases were reported in 26 countries in 2020.

Quote of the Day

“Never underestimate the power you have as a Rotarian to make a difference in the lives of others.”

— ANONYMOUS

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

Rotary Statement on Ukraine

Rotary Statement on Ukraine

UkraineRotary statement on the effect of the escalating crisis in Ukraine on polio eradication efforts –

Rotary is deeply concerned by the deteriorating situation in Ukraine and the escalating loss of life and humanitarian hardship there, including the unfolding effects of the current crisis in Ukraine on the country’s health system.  A functioning health system must be kept neutral and protected from all political or security issues affecting countries to ensure that people have continued access to critical and essential care.

Rotary and our Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) partners have seen time and again that large-scale population movements, insecurity and hampered access contribute greatly to the emergence and spread of infectious diseases, including polio. Ukraine is currently affected by a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) outbreak, with the most recent case detected in December 2021. A polio immunization campaign targeting nearly 140,000 unimmunized children throughout Ukraine began on 1 February 2022 but is currently paused, as health authorities have shifted focus towards emergency services. Surveillance to detect and report new cases of polio is also disrupted, increasing the risk of undetected spread of the disease among vulnerable populations.
 
The GPEI has a long history of working in a variety of complex environments and will continue to adapt its operations to the reality on the ground in Ukraine, to the degree possible, without compromising on the safety and security of health workers.  The GPEI is working to urgently implement contingency plans to support Ukraine and prevent further spread of polio, including vaccination activities targeting children at internally displaced person sites in the border regions of Ukraine, and deploying mobile vaccination teams to reach children along the border.
 
At the same time, immunization and surveillance efforts will be implemented in neighboring countries, to minimize the risk and consequences of any potential infectious disease emergence or spread resulting from large-scale population movements. Neighboring countries will carry out public health measures to prevent, identify and rapidly respond to signals of polio through enhanced surveillance, reviewing and updating preparedness plans, reviewing and improving immunization coverage at subnational levels and among high-risk groups, ensuring that displaced populations are fully included in any mass vaccination or routine immunization activities.
 
It is critical that necessary resources are mobilized and made available to assist with humanitarian needs, including relief, disease response, and disease prevention efforts both in Ukraine and in neighboring countries.
 

All Rotarians are Encouraged to Support the – Disaster Relief Fund – for Ukraine – In response to the deepening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, The Rotary Foundation has created an official channel for Rotary members around the world to contribute funds to support the relief efforts underway by Rotary Districts and has designated its Disaster Response Fund as the main avenue for contributions.

Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund in support of Ukraine can be made online at Disaster Response Fund | My Rotary. All funds need to be received into the Disaster Response Fund by 30 April, 2022 in order to qualify for use in support of the Ukrainian relief efforts.

  • Now through 30 April, 2022, Rotary districts can transfer unallocated District Designated Funds (DDF) to support the Disaster Response Fund, directly supporting these Ukraine-specific humanitarian grants.
  • During this same period, other impacted Rotary districts that wish to offer support to refugees or other victims of the crisis in their district can apply for $25,000 grants from the Disaster Response Fund.
  • Now through 30 June, 2022, designated Rotary Districts that border Ukraine and the Rotary district in Ukraine may apply for grants of up to $50,000 each from the Disaster Response Fund. These expedited disaster response grants can be used to provide relief to refugees or other victims of the crisis including items such as water, food, shelter, medicine, and clothing.

You can find a more comprehensive announcement with additional details here: The Rotary Foundation creates channel for direct humanitarian support in Ukraine region | Rotary International

Malawi working to keep Wild Polio cases Low

Malawi working to keep Wild Polio cases Low

No new Wild Polio case was reported this week.

What is that Polio Picture?  Malawi works to ensure that the number of Wild Polio cases stays low – currently at one.

Israel – Reported their first cVDPV2 Case this week.

Ukraine

Rotary statement on the effect of the escalating crisis in Ukraine on polio eradication efforts

Rotary is deeply concerned by the deteriorating situation in Ukraine and the escalating loss of life and humanitarian hardship there, including the unfolding effects of the current crisis in Ukraine on the country’s health system.  A functioning health system must be kept neutral and protected from all political or security issues affecting countries to ensure that people have continued access to critical and essential care.

 A Win Against Polio is a Win for Global Health!

2022 Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Case Total – 6 DR Congo – 1 (26 in 2021), Israel – 1, Madagascar – 1 (12 in 2021), Nigeria – 2 (415 in 2021), Somalia – 1 (1 in 2021).

2021 Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Cases – 637 – 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 – 27 (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 – 15 (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 – 13 (33 in 2020).

New This Week – Cote d’ Ivoire – 1 cVDPV2 Sample, DR Congo – 1 vCVDP2 (2021) Case, Israel – 1 cVDPV2 Case + 6 Samples, Mauritania – 1 cVDPV2 Sample, Nigeria – 1 cVDPV2 Case, Occupied Palestine territory – 8 cVDPV2 Samples.

A total of 1,110 Vaccine Derived Polio cases were reported in 26 countries in 2020.

Quote of the Day

“None of us know how long the COVID 19 virus will linger – and as an organization that has worked tirelessly for decades to eradicate Polio, we understand better than most the difficult work that lies ahead.  That’s why we need to remain focused on what is possible – not being nostalgic for the way our lives were, but looking hopefully to a future that uses this opportunity to Serve to Change Lives.”

— SHEKHAR MEHTA, 2021-22 R.I. PRESIDENT

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

8 vaccinatorS assassinated in Afghanistan

8 vaccinatorS assassinated in Afghanistan

No new Wild Polio case was reported this week.

What is that Polio Picture?  Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari, is the WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean – offered this statement about the vaccinator attacks in Afghanistan.

24 February 2022, Cairo, Egypt – I am shocked and deeply outraged by the killing of 8 polio health workers, 4 of them women, in Afghanistan today. I extend my deepest condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of those who have lost their lives.

As a result of these attacks, the national polio vaccination campaign, which began on 21 February 2022, has been suspended in Kunduz and Takhar provinces. This suspension leaves thousands of children unprotected and exposed to a life-threatening disease that can result in permanent paralysis. 

These senseless attacks must stop. They are unacceptable on a humane level and [a] humanitarian level and are strictly forbidden in all faiths.  These cowardly acts ultimately only harm innocent children who must be given every opportunity to live safe and healthy lives.

WHO condemns all attacks on health workers in the strongest terms and appeals to the Taliban Authorities to immediately identify and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The polio program supported by WHO, UNICEF, and other partners has made extensive progress in controlling the transmission of wild poliovirus in Afghanistan, contributing to the global eradication of the disease. In 2021, Afghanistan reported 4 cases of wild poliovirus, and only one case has been reported to date in 2022.

This month’s campaign was planned to target nearly 10 million children aged 0–59 months across the country. In addition to this round, 4 more campaigns are planned for 2022. The polio program requires everyone’s support to ensure they are implemented without any risk to health workers, or the people they serve.

WHO, together with national and international partners, remains committed to our polio eradication efforts in Afghanistan.

 

 Ukraine

Amid the escalating crisis in Ukraine, the GPEI has expressed extreme concern about the unfolding effects of the conflict on the country’s health system as security and displacement increase risk of diseases such as polio.

 A Win Against Polio is a Win for Global Health!

2022 Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Case Total – 4  DR Congo – 1 (26 in 2021), Madagascar – 1 (12 in 2021), Nigeria – 1 (415 in 2021), Somalia – 1 (1 in 2021).

2021 Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Cases – 636 – 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 – 26 (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 – 15 (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 – 13 (33 in 2020).

New This Week – Madagascar – 1 (2021) cVDPV2 Case, Nigeria – 2 cVDPV2 Samples.

A total of 1,110 Vaccine Derived Polio cases were reported in 26 countries in 2020.

Quote of the Day

“The world is getting to be such a dangerous place, a man is lucky to get out of it alive.”

— W.C. Fields

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

Immunizations ongoing in Malawi

Immunizations ongoing in Malawi

No new Wild Polio case was reported this week.

What is that Polio Picture? Immunizations ongoing in Malawi.

Malawi – As a result of ongoing disease surveillance, the Global Polio Laboratory Network (GPLN) has confirmed the presence of type 1 wild poliovirus (WPV1) in a child suffering from paralysis in Tsabango, Lilongwe, Malawi. Analysis shows that the virus is genetically linked to WPV1 was detected in Pakistan’s Sindh province in October 2019.

The three-year-old girl in Malawi experienced the onset of paralysis on 19 November 2021, and stool specimens were collected for testing on 26 and 27 November. Sequencing of the virus conducted in February by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in South Africa and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed this case as WPV1.

Detection of WPV1 outside the world’s two remaining endemic countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan, is a serious concern and underscores the importance of prioritizing polio immunization activities. Until polio is fully eradicated, all countries remain at risk of importation and must maintain high vaccination coverage to protect all children from polio.

The GPEI is supporting health authorities in Malawi to conduct a thorough assessment of the situation and begin urgent immunization activities in the sub-region to mitigate any risk of spread. Surveillance measures are also being expanded in Malawi and neighboring countries to detect any other potential undetected transmission.

As an imported case from Pakistan, this detection does not affect the WHO African Region’s wild poliovirus-free certification status officially marked in August 2020. Malawi last recorded a case of wild poliovirus in 1992. The polio eradication program has seen importations from endemic countries to regions that have been certified wild poliovirus-free in the past and have moved quickly to successfully stop transmission of the virus in these areas.

 

 Afghanistan

After the safe and successful rollout of nationwide polio campaigns since November 2021, we have received the tragic news that 8 health workers at the forefront have been killed this morning in a series of shootings in Takhar and Kunduz in northeast Afghanistan.  The vaccination campaign has been suspended in both provinces. 

A statement has been issued by the Regional Director of WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region, Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari, as well as by the United Nations in the country, condemning these attacks, expressing condolences to the families, and underscoring that the provision of health and the safety of health workers at the forefront are paramount, and must be kept neutral to any geo-political situation anywhere.

Our thoughts and prayers are both with the families and our teams on the ground at this time.

 A Win Against Polio is a Win for Global Health!

2022 Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Case Total – 4  DR Congo – 1 (26 in 2021), Madagascar – 1 (12 in 2021), Nigeria – 1 (415 in 2021), Somalia – 1 (1 in 2021).

2021 Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Cases – 635 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 – 26 (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 – 12 (2 in 2020), Mali – 0 (52 in 2020), Malaysia – 0 (1 in 2020), Mozambique – 2, Niger – 15 (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 – 13 (33 in 2020).

New This WeekDR Congo – 2 cVDPV2 Case, Madagascar – 2 cVDPV2 Case + 6 Samples, Malawi – 1 WPV1 Case, Nigeria – 3 cVDPV2 Cases + 8 cVDPV2 Samples, Yemen 3 cDVPV2 Cases.

A total of 1,110 Vaccine Derived Polio cases were reported in 26 countries in 2020.

Quote of the Day

“The Rotary Foundation is far too great to keep to ourselves.  Let’s make sure to let the Foundation’s light shine bright.  In doing so, we will find new partners, gain new supporters, and increase the good we’re all doing in the world.”

JOHN F. GERM, ROTARY FOUNDATION TRUSTEE CHAIR

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