Polio continues to spread around the world, including during the low season of contamination. The World Health Organization therefore declares a global state of emergency.
A state of “comprehensive public health emergency” for polio is declared. The World Health Organization (WHO) made the announcement on May 5 in a press release. It justifies this decision by the spread of the disease in several countries in the low season of contamination.
At the instigation of the Director-General Margaret Chan, a committee met urgently last week to take stock of the situation. “The decision to consider that the conditions were met for a state of emergency was unanimous,” said the WHO in a statement. The presence of imported cases in Afghanistan, Iraq and Equatorial Guinea is cause for concern, as it revives the specter of global contamination. Moreover, if things continue like this, the situation could end in “the failure to eradicate one of the most serious vaccine-preventable diseases worldwide.” “
99% fewer cases since 1988
60% of infections by a wild poliovirus came from an international spread at the end of 2013. Same observation for the beginning of 2014, in 3 of the 10 states which are currently experiencing an epidemic, while we are in the low season. The only possible response for the WHO is international coordinated action against the virus responsible for polio.
This will be necessary to continue the efforts undertaken since 1988, which have resulted in a 99% drop in the number of cases. Despite this, polio remains endemic in three countries (Afghanistan, Nigeria, Pakistan), despite the efforts of NGOs, and it continues to spread around the world from these three endemic foci.
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