Polio cases rise in advance of vaccine drive

The number of confirmed polio cases in Yemen has risen following the discovery of a fresh case in February, say health experts. “The number of confirmed polio cases has reached 474, as a new case was discovered last month in the governorate of Ibb, 150km south of the capital, Sana’a,” said Dr Hashim al-Zein, country representative for the World Health Organization (WHO). While the new case “doesn’t signal any danger”, said al-Zein, he added that it would take a number of years before Yemen could be declared free from the disease. “Yemen needs between four to five years to be free from polio again, because we have to conduct between two and four immunisation campaigns.” Al-Zein went on to explain that the government, with WHO assistance, was expected to launch a new immunisation drive in April or May, targeting some four million children below the age of five. To date, there have been six such campaigns in the country. “This campaign is very important to control the disease,” said al-Zein. “We must enhance children’s immunity to avoid reactivation of the polio virus. We also have to target newborn infants.” A polio outbreak was first confirmed in May 2005 after 18 cases were reported following a routine national immunisation programme conducted on the advice of the WHO. According to the organization, Yemen accounted for 36 percent of the 1,310 polio cases registered worldwide in the first nine months of 2005. Between April and November of last year, the health ministry confirmed a total of 473 polio cases, including six fatalities. Polio, a highly infectious viral disease, can paralyse a victim’s limbs in a matter of hours, making young children most at risk from the disease. The WHO declared Yemen to be polio-free in 1996. As a result, however, child immunity declined. During vaccination drives last year, many parents refused vaccinations for their children, believing the shots could result in infertility. A number of local religious leaders also cautioned parents that vaccinations were dangerous. According to health workers, however, there has been a sea change in people’s attitudes recently as a result of awareness campaigns, which also involve progressive religious leaders.