Polio: Over 250 New Cases of Paralysis Recorded in Africa, Says WHO Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that despite efforts to halt the outbreak of the circulating polio variant,
The World Health Organisation has said that despite efforts to halt the outbreak of the circulating polio variant, more than 250 cases of paralysis from polio have been recorded in Africa this year.
She said: “At the end of the first quarter of 2022, WHO announced the successful closure of 32 outbreaks in 10 countries. Yet, there are ongoing outbreaks that demand we stay vigilant and finish the job. This is critical for Africa to stamp out new cases of wild polio, as well as to safeguard our wild polio-free certification status.
“Following two immunisation rounds, no further transmission has been seen. The polio response has also prompted innovative digital technologies to identify, track and best deliver vaccines, especially to those in hard-to-reach areas.” Moeti explained that two of the three strains of wild poliovirus have been certified as eradicated, and in 2020, the African Region was certified as free of indigenous wild polio.
“In a show of global solidarity, the host country Germany, along with 15 other countries, as well as charities, international organisations and numerous private sector initiatives, committed more than US$ 2.6 billion to the strategy – more than half the total target,” she said.