Text: Polio Immunization Campaign Succeeding in Central Africa

13 August 2001

Text: Polio Immunization Campaign Succeeding in Central Africa

UNICEF, WHO, Rotary, and CDC participate in joint effort

In the first coordinated polio immunization campaign in conflict-ridden Central Africa, tens of thousands of vaccination teams are going door to door to protect millions of the region's children against polio.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative was described in an August 7 press release by the four organizations that have joined to sponsor it, the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The goal of the initiative is to fully interrupt transmission of the wild poliovirus and to certify the world polio-free in 2005. A targeted 16 million children are being immunized against polio in Angola, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Gabon during several days in July, August, and September, the release said. These three rounds of synchronized "National Immunization Days" (NIDs) are a major step in the global campaign to eradicate polio, it noted, as Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are considered two of the few remaining bastions of the wild poliovirus.

A special ceremony launching the NIDs on July 5 in Kinshasa attracted President Joseph Kabila and other high Congolese officials, WHO Director-General Gro Harlem Brundtland, and top officials of the other agencies sponsoring the campaign.

The first round of NIDs, held July 5-9, immunized more than 15 million children under the age of 5, many of whom had not been reached before because of ongoing conflict in the Central African region. The campaign has reached into remote forested areas and has included unprecedented cross-border activities to immunize children who have never been reached before.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has appealed for calm during all three polio immunization rounds, urging the leaders of the countries and all warring parties to respect the National Immunization Days as "days of tranquility" and to ensure the safe passage of health workers and volunteers, the release said.

Following is the text of the press release:

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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, Maniema 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 Jose 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 2 881 reported in 2000 [see note below].

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.

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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, [email protected]

Claudia Drake, WHO +41 22 791 3832, [email protected]

Vivian Fiore, Rotary International +1 847 866 3234, [email protected]

Jeri Pickett, CDC +1 404 639 8454, [email protected]

Dr Kandjoura Drame, Coordinator, Kinshasa, Dr Congo (+1 321) 953 9026, [email protected]

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