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Press Release
Joint Statement by UNICEF, WHO, Rotary International,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Massive Polio Immunization Campaign Succeeding In
Central Africa Despite Challenges
Geneva, 7 August 2001- Tens of thousands
of vaccination teams have fanned across central Africa, going door-to-door
to protect millions of children against polio in the first ever coordinated
polio immunization campaign in the conflict-affected region. During
several days in July, August and September, this massive effort will
result in the protection of a targeted 16 million children against polio
in Angola, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gabon. The
"synchronized" National Immunization Days (NIDs) campaign
is a major step in the global effort to eradicate the crippling disease,
as Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are considered two
of the few remaining bastions of the wild poliovirus.
President Joseph Kabila, of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was
joined in Kinshasa by the Minister of Health and other senior representatives
of Congo, Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director-General of the World Health
Organization (WHO), Dr Ebrahim Samba, WHO's Regional Director for Africa,
Rima Salah, UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa, and
Carlo Ravizza, past President of Rotary International, at a special
ceremony launching the "synchronized" NIDs on 5 July.
Results from the first round of synchronized NIDs, carried out between
5 and 9 July, are encouraging.
Highlights include:
- A total of well over 15 million children under five immunized
including:
- Angola: 3.6 million. This includes children who had not
been accessed before owing to ongoing conflict.
- Congo: 628,698 children vaccinated, surpassing the target
population of 616,700.
- Democratic Republic of the Congo: 11.5 million children vaccinated,
including immunization coverage in all health zones for the first
time (321 health zones). The assistance of MONUC (Mission observateur
des Nations Unies au Congo) made it possible to fly vaccines into
traditionally difficult-to-access areas.
- Gabon: 211,295 children vaccinated, including many in remote,
forested areas.
- Unprecedented cross-border activities - vaccination teams crossed
into neighbouring countries to immunize children who had never been
reached before. There were reports of up to 80 per cent "zero-dose"
children in some of these regions, an indication that carefully planned
cross-border activities do reach children who might otherwise be missed.
- UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has appealed for calm during
all three polio immunization rounds, urging "all leaders
in these countries and all warring parties to respect the National
Immunization Days as "days of tranquillity" and to ensure
the safe passage of health workers and volunteers in their efforts
to reach all children with polio vaccine".
- Vaccinators abducted, problems fully accessing some conflict-affected
areas:
Despite major efforts by health authorities and vaccination teams,
full coverage was not possible in some areas in view of ongoing conflict.
In the Equateur province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
five vaccinators were arrested and later released. In the same province,
a volunteer who was mobilizing the population for the campaign was
killed.
- Lack of security prevented teams of vaccinators from crossing
into Angola at a key border point with the Democratic Republic
of the Congo. Insecurity also hampered full immunization efforts in
the provinces of South Kivu, Maniéma and Orientale in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo and in 21 sparsely-populated municipalities
in nine provinces of Angola.
- The second round of synchronized NIDs is from 9-13 August. Key
points include:
UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy will travel to Angola and
the Democratic Republic of the Congo to boost the polio campaign.
She will join health workers and volunteers in cross-border efforts
as they reach children in displaced persons camps and traditionally
difficult-to-reach regions. Carol Bellamy will add her voice to the
recent call of the UN Secretary-General for "days of tranquillity"
to allow safe passage of health workers and volunteers in order to
access all children.
- Rotary International Foundation Trustee José Alfredo
Pretoni will travel to Angola to join local Rotary volunteers
in administering the polio vaccine. Since 1996, Angola's Rotary Club
of 32 men and women have led a campaign to solicit corporate jets,
helicopters and vehicles to move the polio vaccine through Angola's
landmine-infested countryside. Rotary's non-political status has enabled
this club to help negotiate cease-fires between the government and
UNITA rebels to allow vaccinators into rebel-held areas. During National
Immunization Days, this club also prints and distributes thousands
of posters to mobilize families.
- Vaccination teams will be administering vitamin A along with
the polio vaccine. This life-saving micronutrient reduces childhood
mortality and morbidity by 23%. In 2000, the administration of vitamin
A prevented around 240 000 childhood deaths worldwide.
- During the third immunization round from 13-17 September, US
National Basketball Association all-star Dikembe Mutombo will
travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to help immunize children
in his home country and raise the project's visibility.
Full results of the three rounds of synchronized National Immunization
Days will be
available in early October 2001.
The goal of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative is to fully interrupt
transmission of the wild poliovirus, and certify the world polio-free
in 2005. At the beginning of 2000 polio was circulating in just 20 countries
- down from 125 in 1988 when the Initiative was launched. Since that
time, the number of cases worldwide has been reduced by 99%, from an
estimated 350 000 in 1988 to 2881 reported in 2000.*
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is spearheaded by WHO, Rotary
International, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Major donors to these
synchronized NIDs include the Governments of Belgium, Canada, Japan,
the Netherlands, UK and USA, Rotary International, the Rotary Foundation
of Belgium, the United Nations Foundation and vaccine manufacturer Aventis
Pasteur.
***
* Note: Please see www.polioeradication.org
for weekly updates of polio cases worldwide
For further information, please contact:
Mohammad Jalloh,
UNICEF +1 212 326 7516, mjalloh@unicef.org
Claudia Drake, WHO +41 22 791 3832,
drakec@who.int
Vivian Fiore, Rotary International
+1 847 866 3234, fiorev@rotaryintl.org
Jeri Pickett, CDC +1 404 639 8454,
jpickett@cdc.gov
Dr Kandjoura Drame, Coordinator,
Kinshasa, Dr Congo (+1 321) 953 9026, Kandrame@yahoo.fr
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