POLIO [to 4 October 2014]
GPEI Update: Polio this week – As of 24 September 2014
Global Polio Eradication Initiative
Editor’s Excerpt and text bolding
Full report: http://www.polioeradication.org/Dataandmonitoring/Poliothisweek.aspx
:: All cases of wild poliovirus type 1 reported this week were from Pakistan. In 2014, Pakistan has accounted for 83% of cases reported globally. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) constitute the most heavily infected area of the world, with 73% of cases worldwide occurring within these provinces.
:: The risk of international spread of polio from Pakistan remains high. The bulk of cases in neighbouring Afghanistan are linked to cross-border transmission with Pakistan, and the outbreak affecting the Middle East originated in Pakistan.
:: The Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) is meeting this week in London to review the progress of the past months. The IMB report will be published in 3 weeks.
Pakistan
:: Eight new wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases were reported in the past week. Of these, 3 are from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) (1 from North Waziristan Agency and 2 from Khyber Agency); 2 are from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (1 from Tank and 1 from Torghar district, which had been uninfected so far in 2014); 2 from Balochistan province (1 in Killa Abdulah and 1 in Quetta district); and 1 case in Sindh province in the previously uninfected Liaqat town of Karachi city. This brings the total number of WPV1 cases in 2014 to 174 compared to 36 in 2013 by this date. The most recent case had onset of paralysis on 14 September in Khyber Agency.
:: Immunization activities are continuing with particular focus on known high-risk areas, in particular the newly opened areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. At exit and entry points, 182 permanent vaccination points are being used to reach internally displaced families as they leave their homes.
West Africa
:: Even as polio programme staff across West Africa support efforts to control the Ebola outbreak affecting the region, efforts are being made in those countries not affected by Ebola to vaccinate children against polio. National Immunization Days (NIDs) are planned in Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo on 31 October to 2 November.