Philippines has confirmed 2 cases of polio almost 2 decades after WHO declared the country free of the disease.
The Philippine Department of Health said that the first case was found in a 3-year-old girl in Southern Lanao del Sur province. Furthermore, they also confirmed that the polio virus was detected in sewage in Manila and in the southern Davao region. The findings suggest an outbreak of this devastating disease.
WHO and UNICEF has raised their concerns, and has stated that they would help the government with immunizing and surveillance.
"As long as one single child remains infected, children across the country and even beyond are at risk of contracting polio," UNICEF Philippines representative Oyun Dendevnorov said.
On Friday, Philippines health officials has confirmed a second case of Polio in a 5-year-old. This time a boy from Laguna province south of Manila.
The country’s Department of Health has now launched a nationwide polio immunization campaign. At least 95% of children under the age of 5 need to be vaccinated to halt the spreading of the disease.
Polio is a crippling disease that spreads rapidly with no cure. It can cause paralysis and can be fatal on rare occasions. The only way to prevent polio is through vaccinations.
Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan are the last 3 countries still battling this disease.
In the Maldives HPA reports confirm that more than 98% of the population is fully vaccinated against dangerous diseases such as Polio, Measles and Tuberculosis (2016). However, with the emergence of anti-vax communities, officials need to take a step forward and take action against this massive health threat.
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