UPDATE ON POLIO ERADICATION

Summary of new WPV and cVDPV viruses this week (AFP cases and ES positives):

o Afghanistan: one cVDPV2 environmental sample o Gambia: two cVDPV2 positive environmental samples o Madagascar: one cVDPV1 positive environmental sample o Nigeria: 18 cVDPV2 cases and 12 cVDPV2 positive environmental samples o Senegal: one cVDPV2 case o Uganda: two cVDPV2 positive environmental samples

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For more information, click here - http://polioeradication.org/polio-today/polio-now/this-week/

Click here to learn the difference between Wild Polio Virus (WPV) and Vaccine-derived Polio Virus. (VDPV)

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on July 24 announced an additional US$9.5 million support to the Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI). The funding will be used to vaccinate approximately 16 million children during door-to-door immunization campaigns in 84 highest-risk districts as well as an additional US$376,000 to provide personal protective equipment against COVID-19 for the frontline campaign workers.

The funding, which will be utilized from July to December, brings to more than US$23 million made available by the UAE in 2021. The Emirates, a long-time supporter of Pakistan’s polio programme and its main funder, has provided over US$200 million in financial support since 2014. Pakistan is one of two countries where wild poliovirus remains endemic.

Speaking on behalf of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Dr Palitha Mahipala, the World Health Organization Representative in Pakistan, thanked the UAE for its generous contribution, noting the UAE’s steadfast commitment not only to protecting children from lifelong paralysis but to the overall goal of polio eradication.

The funding will be used to vaccinate approximately 16 million children in 84 highestrisk districts. © UAE It bears repeating...

“The UAE has firmly stood by the polio programme with vital yearly contributions and in pleas for extra funding to address unforeseen challenges such as COVID-19,” he said. “This would not be possible without their support.”

Only one case of wild poliovirus has been reported in Pakistan in the first six months of the year, a significant decrease from the 59 cases reported during the same period in 2020.

In order to be certified polio-free, Pakistan is required to report zero cases of wild poliovirus over a three-year period.

The Government of Pakistan remains fully committed to reaching the goal of zero in the coming months.

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