WHO “Feature”: Syrian Arab Republic: put polio risk above all other interests
December 2013
The push to immunize all children against polio has been hampered by the ongoing crisis in the Syrian Arab Republic. WHO and UNICEF have appealed to all parties to cooperate, including through temporary pauses in hostilities where needed, to allow vaccination campaigns to take place and for all children to be protected…
More: http://www.who.int/features/2013/syria-polio-vaccination/en/index.html

Update: Polio this week – As of 4 December 2013
Global Polio Eradication Initiative
Full report: http://www.polioeradication.org/Dataandmonitoring/Poliothisweek.aspx
[Editor’s extract and bolded text]
:: The ‘high season’ for polio transmission is seeing a dramatic expansion of polio in Pakistan. Over the past four months, 45 cases of wild poliovirus have been reported since August, with evidence of widespread geographic transmission across the country. By contrast, 25 cases had been reported for the period January to July.
:: The situation in Pakistan is increasingly worrying to the global eradication effort, especially in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) which remains the main transmission zone in Pakistan. This area is also affected by an outbreak of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2). The risk of spread within the country and internationally is high.
:: By contrast, cases during the ‘high season’ are on the decline in Nigeria. Since August, 8 cases have been reported, primarily from Borno and Kano states, compared to 42 cases for the January to July period.

Afghanistan
:: Two new WPV1 cases were reported in the past week. The total number of WPV cases for 2013 is now 11 (all WPV1). The two cases were reported from Batikot and Behsud districts in Nangarhar province. All WPV1 cases in 2013 are reported from Eastern Region, close to the Pakistan border. The most recent WPV1 case had onset of paralysis on 12 November from Batikot.

Pakistan
:: Six new WPV1 cases were reported in the past week. Five of the cases were reported from FATA and one from Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The total number of WPV1 cases for Pakistan in 2013 is now 70. The most recent WPV1 case had onset of paralysis on 16 November (from North Waziristan, FATA)…
North Waziristan is the area with the largest number of children being paralyzed by poliovirus in :: Pakistan. Immunization activities have been suspended by local leaders since June 2012. It is critical that children in these areas are vaccinated and protected from poliovirus. Immunizations in neighboring high-risk areas are being intensified, to further boost population immunity levels in those areas and prevent further spread of this outbreak