POLIO [to 12 July 2014]

GPEI Update: Polio this week – As of 9 July 2014
Global Polio Eradication Initiative
Editor’s Excerpt and text bolding
Full report: http://www.polioeradication.org/Dataandmonitoring/Poliothisweek.aspx
:: Intense polio immunization activity is continuing in areas surrounding North Waziristan, Pakistan, to reach families who have not been able to access vaccination for two years. As displaced communities move into other parts of Pakistan and into Afghanistan, vaccination activities are taking place in host communities as well as at transit vaccination posts. Over 800,000 people have been vaccinated within Pakistan as part of these efforts, and over 35,000 in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan
:: In the provinces of Paktyka and Khost, efforts are under way to vaccinate children displaced from neighbouring North Waziristan in Pakistan. More than 35,000 displaced children under the age of 10 are reported to have received a dose of bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV). Health workers are also searching actively for cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) among the displaced communities to ensure any polio transmission is rapidly detected.
Nigeria
:: One new case of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) was reported in the past week, with onset of paralysis on 27 May in Kano state. This is the most recent case in the country, and brings Nigeria’s total case count for 2014 to five.
Pakistan
:: Two new wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases were reported in the past week, bringing the country’s total case count to 90. Both cases were from Khyber Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), and the most recent had onset of paralysis on 16 June.
:: In order to protect those displaced by the military action in North Waziristan, people of all ages are being vaccinated against polio at transit points within the country: over 357,000 to date. Immunization campaigns in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA have vaccinated a further 500,000 children under the age of five.
Central Africa
:: Equatorial Guinea is vaccinating its entire population starting on 23 July Cameroon’s last Supplementary Immunization Activities took place starting 27 June. Activities synchronized between both countries are planned in September.
:: Outbreak response activities continue across the sub-region. Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of Congo all have mass vaccination campaigns planned for July. DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon are also planning to carry out campaigns in August.
:: Following detection in Brazil of WPV1 related to virus circulating in Equatorial Guinea, the latter is now on the list of “exporting countries”. Find out more about the temporary recommendations for these countries at: http://www.polioeradication.org/Infectedcountries/PolioEmergenc.aspx

Afghan Taliban bans polio vaccination teams from southern Helmand
Development marks attitude change of militants, who previously allowed medics into region but now suspect them of spying
Emma Graham-Harrison in Kabul
The Guardian, Tuesday 8 July 2014 08.00 EDT
Excerpt
The Taliban has banned polio vaccination teams from southern Helmand because it suspects them of spying for the government at a time of heavy clashes with government forces, the insurgent group said in a statement on its website.
The announcement is a worrying development, because although Taliban groups across the border in Pakistan have attacked and killed polio vaccinators for years, their Afghan counterparts have mostly supported, or at least tolerated, international efforts to wipe out the disease.
The last time polio vaccinators were blocked from part of Afghanistan, the insurgent group denied any role and said it supported efforts to stop the disease.
Afghanistan is one of just three countries, along with Pakistan and Nigeria, where polio is still endemic. There has been a rise in cases this year, with seven reported so far compared with just three for the same period of 2013, according to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
The group said Helmand has been off limits to vaccinators since February, but did not give a reason. The southern province has seen fierce fighting between insurgent and government forces in recent weeks, and the Taliban’s statement was the first indication it had chased out polio eradication teams.
“We have stopped vaccination in Helmand for the moment,” the Taliban said in a statement posted on its website this week. “The vaccinators were also collecting information about the Taliban and Taliban commanders, they were spying.”
The statement said they had asked UN officials for talks but received no response; the UN’s humanitarian arm declined to comment when asked about the ban…