The Polio Story This Week

Africa - It has been over a year since the last Polio case was reported in Ethiopia, and over 6 months since the last reported case in Syria, Cameroon, Somalia, and Nigeria.  Nigeria must go 12 months with quality surveillance detecting no Wild Polio Virus before they are considered to have stopped Polio transmission.  If after an additional two years, no Wild Polio Virus has been detected, Nigeria could be certified as Polio - Free!    

Pakistan - Of the 305 Polio cases reported in 2014 in Pakistan, 178 were in the FATA & 68 in the Khyber Province.

Sub-National Immunization Days are scheduled for Ethiopia, Somalia, and Uganda in February and a National Immunization Day will take place on February 22 in India. 

 

Just how close are we to wiping out polio? If you use 350,000 as the starting point (the number of polio cases per year before Rotary started the PolioPlus effort) and compare it to the 356 cases we had last year you can come up with an interesting fact. If the 350,000 cases at the peak represent 1 mile we only have 5 feet 4 inches to go to finish the mile. [350,000 polio cases is to 356 polio cases as 5,280 feet (1 mile) is to 5 feet 4 inches.] We are even closer than the pictures of people holding their fingers close together depict.  Wow! We are close! - from Mike Berger - Polio Plus Chair 2012-15, District 5910.