Update: Polio this week – As of 12 June 2013
Global Polio Eradication Initiative
http://www.polioeradication.org/Dataandmonitoring/Poliothisweek.aspx
[Editor’s extract and bolded text]
:: An emergency Horn of Africa polio outbreak meeting was held this week (9-10 June) in Cairo, Egypt, hosted by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO). Chaired by EMRO Regional Director Dr Ala Alwan, the meeting was attended by the Chair of the Horn of Africa Technical Advisory Group, as well as representatives from WHO headquarters (including Dr Bruce Aylward, Assistant Director-General for Polio, Emergencies and Country Collaboration), EMRO, and country office teams from Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Yemen.
:: The meeting reviewed the current status and risks associated with the outbreak, as well as outbreak response activities and their expected impact and discussed strategies to further increasing support to countries and strengthening the outbreak response. [see meeting coverage above]
Nigeria
::One new WPV case was reported in the past week (WPV1 from Kano), bringing the total number of WPV cases for 2013 to 25. It is the most recent WPV case in the country and had onset of paralysis on 4 May.
Pakistan
:: Four new WPV cases were reported in the past week (WPV1s from Federally Administered Tribal Areas – FATA, including three from Khyber Agency), bringing the total number of WPV cases for 2013 to 14. One of the newly-reported cases is the most recent WPV case in the country and had onset of paralysis on 19 May.
:: One new cVDPV2 case was reported in the past week (from Gadap town, greater Karachi, Sindh), bringing the total number of cVDPV2 cases for 2013 to five. It is the most recent cVDPV2 case in the country and had onset of paralysis on 8 May
Horn of Africa
:: Five new WPV cases were reported in the past week (two WPV1s from Somalia and three WPV1s from Kenya), bringing the total number of WPV1 cases in the region to 14 (nine WPV1s from Somalia and five WPV1s from Kenya). Two of these new cases are the most recent and had onset of paralysis on 18 May (both from Kenya).
:: Outbreak response activities are continuing across the Horn of Africa.
:: In Somalia, two large-scale immunization campaigns have already been implemented, including in Banadir (which includes Mogadishu), including targeting children aged less than ten years. Lessons from these campaigns are now being addressed in preparation of the next rounds starting on 12 June. In Banadir, all age groups are being targeted. Focus is on fine-tuning microplans to include schools, more clearly define vaccinator team daily workloads, improving supervision and expanding the scope and content of monitoring activities.
:: In Kenya, immunization activities began on 26 May to reach nearly 440,000 children aged less than 15 years across the Dadaab area. Preparations are ongoing for the next SNIDs, on 15 June, covering broader areas including all age groups in the Dadaab area. Further campaigns planned for late June and mid-August.
:: Immunization campaigns are also planned and being conducted in other areas of the Horn of Africa, notably Ethiopia and Yemen, to urgently boost population immunity levels and minimize the risk of spread of the outbreak.
:: In Ethiopia, in border areas with Kenya and Somalia, an immunization activity was held on 31 May (targeting children aged less than 15 years). Focus was particularly on reaching children in refugee camps. Broader activities are planned to start 16 June and in early July.
:: In Yemen, activities were held last week (2-5 June) to reach 2.1 million children, with a second round planned for late June to reach 3.5 million children and National Immunization Days in August.
