THE Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) has expressed concern over the funding gap in the ongoing global polio eradication drive, saying stopping the spread of polio in Kano and the surrounding north-west areas of Nigeria by the end of this year is crucial to success of the programme.
The IMB was established in 2010 at the request of the Executive Board of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Health Assembly, to monitor progress against the milestones of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) Strategic Plan 2010-2012.
Report of the June 30 to July 1, 2011 meeting of the IMB published yesterday called the funding gap 'deadly serious,' and highlighted that – although the GPEI has long standing support from a core group of partners, it is neither right nor sustainable that the burden of financing should rest disproportionately on a narrow funding base.
IMB affirmed that polio eradication can be achieved in the near-term, but that "this will not happen if things continue as they are."
In particular, the IMB expressed concern at the situations in Democratic Republic (DR) Congo, Chad and Angola, and the continuing increase in cases in Pakistan.
Also, the Weekly Polio Update published by GPEI showed that one new polio case was officially reported last week in Nigeria – a Wild Polio Virus type 1 (WPV1), with an onset of paralysis on June 8, from Kebbi State, bringing the total number of cases for 2011 to 20. The most recent case, a WPV1 from Kumbotso Local Council, Kano with onset of paralysis on June 10 was reported last week.
However, preparations are underway in 11 high-risk states in the north of the country for the next Immunisation Plus Day (IPD) scheduled for July 28 to 31. A mix of bivalent Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) and trivalent OPV will be used. To ensure optimal planning and implementation of the IPD, additional 18 senior supervisors have been deployed from southern areas to support polio-infected areas.
According to the report, environmental surveillance has commenced in Nigeria with the first virus samples from Kano State arriving at the Ibadan laboratory this week for testing.
The Guardian