Via the Global Polio Eradication Initiative: Polio this week for September 25. Excerpt:
• In the Horn of Africa, intensive outbreak response is continuing. The impact of the response is beginning to be seen, as the number of newly-reported cases from Banadir, Somalia (the epicentre of the outbreak) has declined. At the same time, operations are improving as more children are being reached, including in some inaccessible areas of south-central Somalia. The risk this outbreak poses for the entire region was again underscored this week, however, as two further cases from Ethiopia have been confirmed. See ‘Horn of Africa’ section below, for more information.
• In Pakistan, 12 new cVDPV2 cases are reported this week, the bulk in North Waziristan, FATA. See ‘Pakistan’ section for more details.
• In the margins of the UN General Assembly, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan met with Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. A number of development topics were discussed, including polio eradication. As polio eradication in the country showing encouraging progress, with a 50% decline in cases over previous year, Mr Gates commended President Jonathan’s continued leadership and engagement: “Finishing the job of polio eradication is quite an undertaking, so having the President’s support is a big deal,” he said.
