<
https://www.afro.who.int/news/africas-largest-polio-vaccination-drive-2020-targets-21-million-children>
"Brazzaville, 26 May 2023 – Africa’s largest polio vaccination campaign since
2020 kicks off today in three West and Central African countries, in a combined
effort by national health authorities to immunise a total 21 million children
under the age of five.
The exercise, which will begin in Cameroon, Chad and Niger before being
extended to the Central African Republic next week, comes in response to 19
detections of type-2 polioviruses in the countries; 2 in Niger, 10 in Chad, 4
in Central Africa Republic and 3 in Cameroon.
The multi-country initiative is supported by the World Health Organization
(WHO), through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), and comprises
synchronized vaccinations and joint plans in border communities to halt polio
transmission.
“This is a crucial undertaking to close vaccination gaps in the wake of the
COVID-19 pandemic and will provide millions of children with vital protection
from the risk of irreversible polio paralysis,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO
Regional Director for Africa. “Synchronizing the campaign will ensure that a
large cohort of children across the four countries receive the vaccine at the
same time to enhance polio immunity in a broad geographic area.”
The Lake Chad basin region is grappling with one of the world’s most protracted
incidents of armed violence. It is also home to one of the highest proportions
of so-called “zero dose” children globally, who are either unvaccinated or
under-vaccinated.
All the four countries have made huge efforts to bolster polio detection, curb
the spread of the virus and protect children from the risk of infection and
lifelong paralysis. However, despite all being certified free of indigenous
wild poliovirus ongoing circulating variant poliovirus type 2 persists."
Via
Future Crunch:
<
https://futurecrunch.com/goodnews-stunting-ocean-australia-wind-solar-europe/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
