Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report—Polio

CSIS Report Examines Polio Eradication Efforts In Nigeria

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:38:36 GMT

This report -- titled "The Race to Eradication," published on Friday by the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), and written by Jennifer Cooke, director of the CSIS Africa Program, and Farha Tahir, a program coordinator and research associate in the program -- examines efforts to eradicate polio in Nigeria, a country that "remains one of the most entrenched reservoirs of poliovirus in the world," according to the report summary. CSIS writes on its website, "The Nigerian experience has underscored the complexity of the eradication endeavor and vividly demonstrates the fragility and reversibility of gains made to date" (2/10).

Pakistan, Afghanistan Form Joint Action Plan Against Polio

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:23:12 GMT

Pakistan and Afghanistan, "the world's two worst polio-affected countries," have "decided to form a joint block under the World Health Organization to eradicate the infectious disease -- which causes motor paralysis and the atrophy of skeletal muscles, often resulting in permanent physical disability or deformity -- by December 2012," Inter Press Service reports. "The decision was made last year by the Technical Advisory Board (TAG), which is responsible for developing new strategies to wipe out the disease globally," the news service notes.

India's Ownership Over Polio Eradication Program Contributed To Success

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:36:00 GMT

"The key to India's success" in going a full year without recording a case of polio "was to take ownership of the problem and the solution, allowing for locals to learn from the expertise of the international community while not becoming dependent" on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international donors, William Thomson, a research assistant at the U.S. Naval War College, writes in The Diplomat's "India Decade."

Al Jazeera Examines Unique Polio Eradication Campaign In Pakistan

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:08:00 GMT

In this video report, Al Jazeera examines polio eradication efforts in Pakistan, writing, "[I]n an unusual effort to eliminate the disease, health workers are stopping vehicles at a busy toll booth outside Islamabad to administer free polio vaccination drops to children under the age of five." The video recounts a "promise" made by Pakistan's prime minister last month to eliminate new polio infections in the country by the end of the year and provides commentary by Shahnaz Wazir Ali, assistant to the prime minister on social affairs, and Dennis King of UNICEF Pakistan about the target, current infection rates, and ongoing eradication efforts (Tyab, 2/6).

Poor Quality Vaccination Campaigns, Lack Of Government Commitment Helping Polio Spread In Chad

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:09:59 GMT

"Poor-quality emergency immunization campaigns and low routine polio immunization coverage are helping the polio virus to spread in Chad, with 132 cases reported in 2011 -- five times the number in 2010," IRIN reports. "More commitment is needed across the board, especially from local health authorities, to try to get immunizations right, say aid agencies," the news service adds.

Gates Urges Governments, Wealthy Donors Not To Cut Aid To Poor Countries; Annual Letter Sets Foundation's Priorities

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:38:00 GMT

In a speech to the European Parliament on Tuesday, Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, "told European lawmakers in Brussels not to cut aid to poor countries despite the economic and budgetary problems facing" European Union (E.U.) countries, Agence France-Presse reports. Gates "praised the [E.U.] whose support in health and development he said has been greater than that of the United States," AFP notes (1/24). On Wednesday, Gates "will be at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, where he plans to exhort wealthy donors -- especially governments -- to keep funding a range of crucial projects in the developing world, from tuberculosis drugs and antimalaria bed nets to maternal care and vaccines," the Wall Street Journal writes. Gates "plans to make his case by showcasing ideas, backed by his foundation, that have helped cost-effectively tackle problems in global health," according to the newspaper (Naik, 1/25).

Celebrating Polio Eradication Efforts In India With 'Guarded Optimism'

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:01:00 GMT

In part one of a two-part blog post in USAID's "IMPACTblog," USAID Worldwide Polio Eradication Coordinator Ellyn Ogden reports on the "hard work and dedication of the Indian government at the national, state, district, block and panchaiyat levels" that was required for the country to have a year free of polio. "Over two million health workers, mobilizers, and volunteers have contributed to this success and deserve to be seen as heroes in their communities," she writes (1/20). In part two of the post, Ogden recaps polio vaccination efforts and challenges, discusses the last recorded case of polio, and writes that going forward, "Guarded optimism prevails" as the country "is still at risk of importations from countries that have not yet stopped polio transmission" (1/23).

Pakistan's Polio Eradication Program Facing Challenges After Increase In Cases Last Year

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:43:55 GMT

IRIN examines several factors that could be contributing to an increase in polio cases in Pakistan, "despite the launch of a National Emergency Action Plan for Polio Eradication" at the beginning of 2011. In 2010, Pakistan recorded 144 cases of polio and 192 cases in 2011, the news service reports. According to IRIN, refusals by some households to vaccinate children; "administrative laxity" and "poorly run campaigns"; and malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies, and diarrhea among children could be contributing to the campaign's lack of success (1/23).

USAID's Worldwide Polio Eradication Coordinator Addresses India's Polio Progress, Global Efforts

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:05:00 GMT

GlobalPost's "Global Pulse" blog interviews Ellyn Ogden, USAID's worldwide polio eradication coordinator since 1997, about India's progress in eradicating polio as it marked one year without a confirmed case and discusses what the overall eradication fight looks like today. Ogden said she believes global eradication of polio is possible, adding, "We pretty much owe it to India to give this effort some time. They worked so hard to get 172 million kids vaccinated. There are always skeptics. But it doesn't get much more difficult than in India. If they can do it here, we should be able to do it anyplace with the tools and strategies we have" (Donnelly, 1/17).

Assessing The Cost Of Polio Eradication Efforts

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:29:40 GMT

"After more than a century as a global scourge and hundreds of thousands lives lost, polio may now be on the verge of being the second human disease wiped off the face of the Earth," Charles Kenny, senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, writes in his column for ForeignPolicy.com, "The Optimist," and asks whether it is worth it to spend billions of dollars to wipe out the few remaining cases of the disease. Kenny discusses the cost-effectiveness of eradication efforts and writes, "In part because of the considerably greater complexity of the vaccination program, the cost of the polio eradication program is mounting."

Threefold Increase In Polio Cases In Afghanistan Concerns Experts

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:18:35 GMT

The New York Times examines how after years of decline, the number of recorded polio cases in Afghanistan tripled in 2011 to 76, following only 25 cases in 2010, raising concerns among international health experts that polio is seeing a resurgence, "particularly since some of the cases erupted far outside the disease's traditional areas in Afghanistan."

India Applauded For Marking One Year Without Polio, But Urged To Also Focus On Other Diseases

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:18:00 GMT

In this post in the Center for Global Development's (CGD) "Global Health Policy" blog, Victoria Fan, a research fellow at CGD, and Rachel Silverman, a research assistant at the center, respond to India's marking of one-year since a case of polio was found in the country, writing, "While we applaud India for its commitment to reaching this milestone, let us not allow this recent success obscure the sorry state of vaccination in India." They provide statistics regarding vaccination coverage in India and conclude, "We wonder whether India's focus on polio may have come at the expense of other diseases," and, "[w]hile India should be applauded for its contribution to global eradication, we urge India to consider the trade-offs in focusing on any one disease at the expense of another and, as much as possible, to try to piggy-back one effort to another effort" (1/14).

Afghan President Karzai Urges Taliban To Allow Polio Vaccination Teams Into Insurgent-Controlled Areas

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:36:00 GMT

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday "urg[ed] the Taliban to allow teams conducting a polio vaccination campaign access to areas under their control" and "said that whoever hampers the medical workers 'is the enemy of our children's future,'" the Associated Press/Washington Post reports (1/17). "A total of 80 cases of the crippling disease were reported in Afghanistan last year -- a three-fold increase over 2010, the health ministry said on Tuesday, marking a major setback in the drive to eradicate polio worldwide," Agence France-Presse writes, adding that "Karzai appealed to religious and community leaders to persuade the insurgents to allow the immunization teams to vaccinate children" (1/17).

Despite One Year Without Polio Cases, Threat of Disease Still Looms In India

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:25:38 GMT

T. Jacob John, a former professor of clinical virology an the Christian Medical College in Vellore, India, who has served on several Global and National Committees on Immunization and Polio Eradication, writes in this opinion piece in India's Hindu, "While one year has passed without polio caused by natural poliovirus, we can claim complete eradication only after we ensure the absence of wild and vaccine polioviruses in the population." He provides a brief history of polio eradication efforts, globally and in India, and continues, "For certification of eradication, two more years should pass without any case of wild virus polio. ... We must continue working as if we still have poliovirus lurking somewhere, only to show up when least expected" (1/8).

HHS Secretary Sebelius Helps India Mark One Year Since Last Recorded Polio Case

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:00:23 GMT

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius "administered polio vaccination drops to children in New Delhi on Friday as India marked one year since its last case of the crippling disease," the Associated Press reports (1/13). The Hill's "Healthwatch" reports that "[o]fficials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] say U.S. funding and experience were key to beating back the disease," but "[t]he news comes as federal funding for global health programs now faces sharp cuts from Tea Party lawmakers and others worried about the deficit" (Pecquet, 1/12). "Globally, the U.S. government has provided $2 billion for the polio eradication campaign, Rotary International has raised about $1 billion from its members, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has donated more than $1 billion," and the CDC "weighed in with crucial expertise," the Washington Post writes (Denyer, 1/12).

Bangladesh Works To Vaccinate 500K Children Against Polio In Annual Immunization Drive

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:41:18 GMT

"Mobile health teams in Bangladesh are conducting 'child-to-child' searches to reach the remaining half million children not vaccinated during a nationwide polio immunization campaign launched on 7 January," IRIN reports. With a goal of vaccinating 22 million children, health workers are heading into hard-to-reach and high-risk areas to vaccinate the remaining 560,791 children, the news service writes. "Since a polio outbreak in 2006 of an imported viral strain, the government has not reported any infections, pledging annual polio vaccinations until [neighboring] India is declared polio-free," IRIN notes, adding the next round of polio vaccinations in Bangladesh is scheduled for February 11 (1/11).

India Marking Health Achievement In Polio-Free Year But Cautious Optimism Remains Among Some Experts

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:37:46 GMT

"On Friday, India marks a huge public health milestone -- a year since a case of polio was found in the country -- a critical step in being declared polio-free and an achievement that many experts long argued was impossible," the Globe and Mail reports (Nolen, 1/11). "The achievement gives a major morale boost to health advocates and donors who had begun to lose hope of ever defeating the stubborn disease that the world had promised to eradicate by 2000," the Associated Press/Seattle Post-Intelligencer writes (Nessman, 1/12).

India On Verge Of Recording Polio-Free Year

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:51:21 GMT

If India does not record a new polio case through January 13, "produc[ing] 12 straight months of polio-free surveillance data, it will be removed from the list of countries where polio is considered endemic, leaving only the other three," Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria, Scientific American reports (Branswell, 1/9). "Asking other countries to draw inspiration from India in their polio eradication drive, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said the country not reporting a single polio case over the last year is a major milestone in the global health sector," the Economic Times writes (1/10).

Nigerian Leaders Sign Onto Gates Immunization Challenge

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:32:00 GMT

"Nigeria's 36 Executive Governors and the Federal Capital Territory have signed up to the Nigeria Immunization Challenge launched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation last year," a Gates Foundation press release states. "The Nigeria Immunization Challenge sets specific objectives that need to be met during each quarter of 2012. If met, Nigeria will significantly improve its chances of stopping polio and protecting more children against vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and whooping cough," the release adds, noting, "As of December 30, 2011, 51 cases of wild poliovirus had been reported in eight Nigerian states" (1/5).

India's Successful Polio Vaccination Campaign Could Bring First Disease-Free Year

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:35:18 GMT

"In India, a mass vaccination campaign involving more than a million volunteers reduced cases nationally by 94 percent between 2009 and 2010, from 741 to 42, and down to the single case last year," the Guardian reports, adding, "If in India as a whole there are no more confirmed cases before 13 January, the country will have completed its first year without a new victim. And if polio is gone from India, the only countries where the disease is still endemic would be Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan."