LARGEST INITIATIVE TO ERADICATE POLIO IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA EXPANDS TO 19 COUNTRIES

Note for the Press 2000

		Media Advisory N° 12 16 November 2000
	LARGEST INITIATIVE TO ERADICATE POLIO IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA EXPANDS TO 19 COUNTRIES WHO: Participants are nineteen countries in west and central Africa, with international partner agencies including the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). WHAT: A second round of "synchronized" National Immunization Days (NIDs) against polio will take place. During these NIDs, more than 70 million children in the region will be immunized against the crippling disease. WHEN: November 18 – 27. WHERE: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. WHY: The synchronization strategy will have a major impact on the reduction of polio cases in the region, and aims to completely halt wild poliovirus transmission within 24 months. This is crucial to keep the world on track to be certified polio-free by 2005. Synchronization of the immunization campaign across national boundaries ensures that children moving with their families due to conflict or for employment opportunities will be immunized and protected. A house-to-house strategy in all areas, including in nomadic settlements and refugee camps, will ensure vaccine coverage of approximately 10 per cent more children than in previous years. KEY EVENTS: 18 November: President Idriss Déby will launch the campaign in N’Djamena, Tchad. 20-24 November: Cross-border immunization activities will cover conflict areas in Sierra Leone-Liberia-Guinea and key border areas of Burkina Faso-Ghana-Togo. 20-24 November: Cape Verde will immunize all children under 15 years in response to a recent polio outbreak in the country. Further information: Christine McNab, WHO, Geneva, tel. (+41 22) 791 4688, mobile (41) 79 254 6815, mcnabc@who.int; Dr Bienvenu Houssou, WHO, Abidjan, tel. (+ 225 20) 22 29 28, leotaps@africaonline.co.ci; Vivian Fiore, Rotary International, Chicago, tel. (+1 847) 866 3234, fiorev@rotaryintl.org; Jeri Pickett, CDC, Atlanta, tel. (+1 404) 639 8454, jpickett@cdc.gov; Mohammad Jalloh, UNICEF, New York, tel. (+1 212) 326 7516, mjalloh@unicef.org Global Polio Eradication Initiative Information: See www.polioeradication.org, Rotary International’s PolioPlus site at http://www.rotary.org, www.cdc.gov, or the polio site on www.unicef.org.