AFRICA RECORDS 134 NEW POLIO CASES: WHO

Fri 25 October 2024:

Africa has recorded 134 new polio cases in at least seven counties, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Thursday.

WHO regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, in a message to mark World Polio Day 2024 said the circulating variant polio type 2 has been found in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Mali, Niger and Nigeria.

In 2024 alone, 134 polio type 2 cases were detected as of Sept. 5, Moeti disclosed.

She said significant improvement in polio eradication has been recorded in the southern African region with no case of poliovirus reported in South Africa since 2022, hoping for an end to the virus in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia.

Moeti commended the unity among the countries in the Lake Chad Basin and Sahel to tackle “a new and pressing challenge.” She urged countries to step up the campaign to end polio on the continent.

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World Polio Day: A Global Effort to Eradicate Polio
World Polio Day, celebrated on October 24, raises awareness about polio and highlights the efforts to eliminate this crippling disease. Established by Rotary International in honor of Jonas Salk, the creator of the first effective polio vaccine, the day is a global reminder of the ongoing fight to ensure no child is paralyzed by polio again.

History of Polio Cases in Africa
Polio was once widespread across Africa, causing thousands of cases of paralysis, especially among children. The disease spreads through contaminated water and food, attacking the nervous system. Despite the introduction of the vaccine in the 1950s, polio outbreaks persisted due to limited access to healthcare and vaccination, as well as conflict and misinformation.

In 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was launched, significantly reducing polio cases in Africa. Countries like Nigeria, which was once a polio hotspot, made remarkable progress through mass immunization campaigns. In 2020, Africa was declared free of wild poliovirus after years of tireless work.

However, outbreaks of vaccine-derived polio still occur, underscoring the importance of continued vigilance and vaccination efforts to completely eliminate the threat of polio across the continent.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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