Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
Translation
Fight against polio in the DRC: the country went from 500 paralyzed children in 2022 to less than 250 in 2024
Published on Mon, 03/25/2024 - 09:08 | Modified on Mon, 03/25/2024 - 09:08
The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) welcomed, on Saturday March 23, the significant progress recorded in the DRC in the fight against poliomyelitis. In fact, we went from more than 500 paralyzed children in 2022 to less than 250 cases of paralysis in 2024; although two cases of wild poliovirus were detected in the country in 2024 (one in Kinshasa and the other in Tshopo).
These figures were delivered during a press briefing organized this weekend by the EPI emergency and polio surveillance unit committee in Kinshasa.
“For 2024, we said that we had two polioviruses which were detected in the environment, in Kinshasa and in Tshopo, but that those of children suffering from paralysis, we had not yet detected these cases. But as we said, we went from more than 500 cases to less than 250 paralyzed children, it is likely that we still have cases. This year, monitoring continues. It is possible that in the coming months, in the coming weeks, we will still be able to detect cases but we hope to remain on the same trend as the last two years with a decrease, if we reach the end of this year with no cases , it's perfect. This is ideal,” explained Dr Charles Ewa Sama of the Polio Response Surveillance Team Commission.
However, Dr Charles Ewa Sama of the polio response surveillance team commission of this same program, insisted on strengthening surveillance and awareness to overcome this epidemic in the DRC:
“It is important that this awareness of the community, that the community be vigilant about the occurrence of paralysis because there may be polioviruses in the community but if we are not sufficiently vigilant, we should not be able to detect them. detect ".
During this briefing, the various EPI speakers noted the major role that the media must play in raising community awareness.
This drop in polio cases is observed particularly in the province of Maniema, formerly considered the epicenter of polio disease. This province went from 67 to 1 case recorded in 2023.
These figures were presented on Saturday March 23 to the interim governor of Maniema by a UNICEF delegation from New York.
“Maniema was seen worldwide as an epicenter of polio two years ago. And in Maniema you made enormous progress last year, going from 67 cases to 1 case, which shows that there is a strong commitment from the Government to stop this epidemic which we still saw quite acute here in the Maniema,” said the director of polio eradication at UNICEF in New York and representative of the strategic committee of the global polio eradication initiative, Steven Lauwrier.
He adds that this mission will focus on seeing how to sustain this success of last year.
“We will first take an inventory of why this success, what were the success factors, how we can avoid another outbreak of polio in this province and how we can sustain the success we had last year. Because just because we only have one case doesn't mean the virus is gone. We must see with the various partners how we can vaccinate all children in all corners of Maniema, not just in the countryside,” he explained.
The first phase of national polio vaccination days will take place from March 28 to 30 throughout the DRC.
https://www.radiookapi.net/2024/03/...dc-le-pays-est-passe-de-500-enfants-paralyses
Fight against polio in the DRC: the country went from 500 paralyzed children in 2022 to less than 250 in 2024
Published on Mon, 03/25/2024 - 09:08 | Modified on Mon, 03/25/2024 - 09:08
The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) welcomed, on Saturday March 23, the significant progress recorded in the DRC in the fight against poliomyelitis. In fact, we went from more than 500 paralyzed children in 2022 to less than 250 cases of paralysis in 2024; although two cases of wild poliovirus were detected in the country in 2024 (one in Kinshasa and the other in Tshopo).
These figures were delivered during a press briefing organized this weekend by the EPI emergency and polio surveillance unit committee in Kinshasa.
“For 2024, we said that we had two polioviruses which were detected in the environment, in Kinshasa and in Tshopo, but that those of children suffering from paralysis, we had not yet detected these cases. But as we said, we went from more than 500 cases to less than 250 paralyzed children, it is likely that we still have cases. This year, monitoring continues. It is possible that in the coming months, in the coming weeks, we will still be able to detect cases but we hope to remain on the same trend as the last two years with a decrease, if we reach the end of this year with no cases , it's perfect. This is ideal,” explained Dr Charles Ewa Sama of the Polio Response Surveillance Team Commission.
However, Dr Charles Ewa Sama of the polio response surveillance team commission of this same program, insisted on strengthening surveillance and awareness to overcome this epidemic in the DRC:
“It is important that this awareness of the community, that the community be vigilant about the occurrence of paralysis because there may be polioviruses in the community but if we are not sufficiently vigilant, we should not be able to detect them. detect ".
During this briefing, the various EPI speakers noted the major role that the media must play in raising community awareness.
This drop in polio cases is observed particularly in the province of Maniema, formerly considered the epicenter of polio disease. This province went from 67 to 1 case recorded in 2023.
These figures were presented on Saturday March 23 to the interim governor of Maniema by a UNICEF delegation from New York.
“Maniema was seen worldwide as an epicenter of polio two years ago. And in Maniema you made enormous progress last year, going from 67 cases to 1 case, which shows that there is a strong commitment from the Government to stop this epidemic which we still saw quite acute here in the Maniema,” said the director of polio eradication at UNICEF in New York and representative of the strategic committee of the global polio eradication initiative, Steven Lauwrier.
He adds that this mission will focus on seeing how to sustain this success of last year.
“We will first take an inventory of why this success, what were the success factors, how we can avoid another outbreak of polio in this province and how we can sustain the success we had last year. Because just because we only have one case doesn't mean the virus is gone. We must see with the various partners how we can vaccinate all children in all corners of Maniema, not just in the countryside,” he explained.
The first phase of national polio vaccination days will take place from March 28 to 30 throughout the DRC.
https://www.radiookapi.net/2024/03/...dc-le-pays-est-passe-de-500-enfants-paralyses