August 2007
Data as of 28 August 2007    English PDF        Version française en PDF
 

• Countries move to protect their travellers from polio as preparation for pilgrimage season begins: Sudan and Chad have carried out synchronized vaccination campaigns in response to detection of new polio cases in the latter, aiming to reach 7.5 million children between them. As the pilgrimage season to Mecca commences, the Nigeria-Chad-Sudan corridor will see increased travel and risk of spread of poliovirus. The next immunization activities in this area are scheduled for September. Saudi Arabia is updating its polio vaccination requirements in the Kingdom's annual health advisory in preparation for the Hajj.
   

• First Lady of Nigeria inaugurates Immunization Plus Days and pledges to eradicate polio: Her Excellency Turai Yar’Adua, wife of recently-elected president Umaru Yar'Adua, said, "We will do whatever we can to make Nigeria polio-free." Attending the launch of the IPDs in the northern state of Kebbi, the First Lady urged parents to vaccinate their children and stressed the safety of oral polio vaccine. The first lady has made child immunization and survival one of her priorities.
   

• India's minister of health recognized for commitment to polio: Rotary International presented the Polio Eradication Champion award to Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare of India. Under the minister's leadership, the Government of India has pushed type1 polio into a steep decline (48 cases compared to 228 at the same period last year) and supported polio eradication activities with over $290 million in domestic financing in 2007.
   

Nigeria

• In 2007, 165 cases have been reported (46 type 1 and 119 type 3). Nigeria accounts for 40% of cases worldwide.

• While the First Lady of Nigeria launched IPDs in Kebbi state on 27 July, her counterparts in the states of Kaduna, Kano and Katsina did the same in their states and participated in monitoring activities during the vaccination campaigns. A key additional health intervention for this campaign was de-worming tablets, in addition to insecticide-treated bed nets to prevent malaria, yellow fever vaccine and DPT. The next IPDs are taking place 1-4 September, using trivalent oral polio vaccine (OPV) in response to the decline in type 1 and to maintain immunity against other types. 

• In the highest- risk states of Jigawa, Katsina and Kano, the proportion of children with at least 3 doses of OPV has risen in all 3 states, nearly doubling in Katsina for example (from 20% to 38% between 2006 and 2007). However, this trend must be strengthened and spread out more evenly: of the polio cases this year nationwide, 65% had fewer than 3 doses of OPV. The focus in the next months will be on intensifying the positive trends with operational improvements such as better training and micro-planning and on increasing even further the community engagement in vaccination.

India

• In 2007, 169 cases have been reported (48 type 1 and 121 type 3). 

• Minister of Health Anbumani Ramadoss received Rotary International's Polio Eradication Champion award in recognition of his commitment to ending polio. Other recipients of this award include Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former US president Bill Clinton and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.

• Western Uttar Pradesh continues to report low incidence of type 1 poliovirus – only four cases have been reported this year, the lowest-ever for the period of January to June. The 10 core districts surrounding Moradabad, the epicentre of last year's epidemic, have not reported any cases of type 1.

• August supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) were postponed in parts of Bihar due to record flooding, which has displaced people and made large areas inaccessible. Bihar has reported 22 cases this year, showing ongoing transmission of type 1, largely in the northern half of the state. The emphasis in the next months remains on reaching very young children through frequent SIAs in both Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
  

Pakistan and Afghanistan

• In 2007, 12 cases have been reported in Pakistan (6 type 1 and 6 type 3) and 9 cases in Afghanistan (4 type 1 and 5 type 3). 

• Both countries held synchronized campaigns in August with intense focus on reaching children along their shared corridor of poliovirus transmission. In Pakistan, despite sensitive security conditions in the tribal areas of North West Frontier Province, the SIAs proceeded with minimal disruption. In Afghanistan, conflict in the southern region has severely limited access to children. National polio coordinators, along with WHO and UNICEF, flew to Helmand Province with the help of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) to meet local colleagues and better understand the parameters under which SIAs must be planned in these circumstances. 

• While localized within Helmand and Kandahar Provinces, the resurgence of type 3 in Afghanistan – which had its last type 3 case in October 2006 – is of particular concern given the difficulty of reaching children and the dangers faced by polio workers as they perform their duties. Authorities are planning to hold synchronized mop-up campaigns in both countries using the recently licensed monvalent OPV type 3 in late September around UN Peace Day 

• The focus in both countries is on increasing local engagement and negotiating access to children with the support of local and provincial civil and religious leadership. Ongoing social mobilization work is necessary to ensure that remote, nomadic and displaced communities fully participate in campaigns. 
  

Re-infected countries

• Chad: The detection of 3 cases of wild poliovirus in Chad underlines the ongoing threat of re-infection from polio-endemic areas. As one of the cases in Chad was close to the Sudanese border, and because of the numbers of displaced people in the region, Sudan held SIAs in coordination with Chad. Further synchronized campaigns are planned for September. Coverage was reportedly good in Sudan, with concerted efforts to reach displaced children and remote communities. In Chad, however, operational improvements are essential to reach more children, particularly in border areas. Sub-national AFP surveillance in Chad also requires further improvement.

• Angola and Democratic Republic of Congo: In 2007, 10 cases have been reported in Angola and 28 in DR Congo, due to continued transmission of wild poliovirus of Indian origin. Both countries are carrying out SIAs, the most recent of which were held on 25 July. Improvements are essential in campaign quality and AFP surveillance in both Angola and DR Congo.

• Somalia and Ethiopia: no cases have been reported since March this year in Somalia – the longest period without a case of polio since the beginning of this outbreak. No cases have been reported in Ethiopia this year. Sensitive surveillance remains critical, especially given the upcoming pilgrimage and the high number of travellers to the Arabian peninsula.

• Myanmar: A total of 11 cases have been reported this year. Proximity to India puts Myanmar at high risk for importations; high-quality campaigns and sensitive surveillance are critical to detect and respond rapidly to poliovirus. SIAs are taking place 3 September in high priority areas.