WHO, Partners To Launch 5-Nation Polio Vaccine Campaign Following Outbreak In Nigeria

Motherboard: Boko Haram Has Prevented Nigeria From Eliminating Polio
“…[N]ews broke on [August 11] that two cases of polio had been found in children living in the northern state of Borno, the birthplace of militant group Boko Haram. It was a setback for Nigeria’s program, but also a stark and sobering reminder that public health efforts, even if backed by millions of dollars and years of planning, can be quickly undone by violence. … Nigeria had been a tough country to treat even before Boko Haram, said Josh Michaud, associate director for global health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation…” (Rao, 8/12).

New York Times: Polio Response in Africa to Be Fast, Difficult and Possibly Dangerous
“The counterattack against resurgent polio in Africa will be rapid, logistically difficult, and potentially dangerous, involving millions of doses of vaccine, thousands of vaccinators, and the health ministries and militaries of five countries, experts from the World Health Organization and other groups say…” (McNeil, 8/12).

Washington Post: WHO will vaccinate in five African nations after polio outbreak
“…Michel Zaffran, who directs the WHO’s efforts to eradicate the disease, said a six-round campaign of vaccinations for children younger than five would begin shortly in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state and quickly expand to Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and the Central African Republic in coming weeks…” (Bernstein, 8/12).

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