Nigeria records four new cases, Somalia reports first in six years
A SOFTENING of stand in response to the healthcare needs of the masses has seen the Taliban in Afghanistan backing polio vaccination in that country in order to arrest its continual scourge in the country.
In a statement supporting health programmes in the country, with particular reference to polio vaccination campaigns, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan said it "supports and lends hand to all programmes that work for the healthcare of the helpless people of our country."
It advised WHO and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) "to employ unbiased people in the region," while the foreign employees should refrain from going to the region and similarly, the campaign should be harmonised with regional conditions, Islamic values and local cultural traditions.
"In case of compliance with these rudiments, all the associated workers (Mujahidin) are directed not to create any kind of trouble for them, rather, they should be provided with all necessary support."
The World Health Organisation (WHO), in a statement Sunday, welcomed the statement and noted the request to respect local conditions, while supporting all efforts to protect the children of Afghanistan from polio and other diseases.
Meanwhile, four new cases of type one Wild Polio Virus (WPV1) was reported last week in Borno, Kano, Taraba and Yobe states, bringing the 2013 cases to 22. The cases from Borno and Taraba are the most recent WPV in the country, both with onset of paralysis on April 24.
According to the latest edition of Weekly Polio Update, published yesterday by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), no new case of Circulating Vaccine-Derived Polio Virus type two (cVDPV2) was reported in the past week.
The most recent cVDPV2 case with onset of paralysis on November 24, 2012, was from Kebbi State. However, sub-national Immunisation Plus Days (IPDs) were held penultimate week in northern and middle belt states.
Also, WPV1 case has been confirmed in Somalia, the first in the country since 2007, and outbreak response activities have been launched.
According to the latest international medicine science, polio can only be cured by preventive measures, that is, the anti-polio drops and the vaccination of children against this disease.
The Guardian