Pakistan: Polio workers trudge through snow to immunise Neelum Valley children |
[Feb 20, 2020]
Temperatures have dropped.
[See source article for short video report]
It has started snowing again in Neelum Valley, but that hasn't stopped the polio workers in the area from performing their duties.
The valley's polio workers are battling heavy snow and providing anti-polio vaccination for the children of the area.
A lady health worker says that it is dangerous and difficult because the snow is between eight and 10 feet high. "But our spirits are high. We will give polio drops to the children of every house," she said, sharing that it was the third day of the polio drive.
Mansehra is also witnessing snowfall and rainfall with brief intervals. The temperature has dropped in Charsadda and Mardan too after rainfall. The Pakistan Meteorological Department has predicted more rains in the area.
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Nigeria: Enugu State inaugurates Task Force on Immunization to close gaps in immunization coverage | World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa - WHO/AFRO via ReliefWeb.
[Origin: View original]
Enugu, 19 February 2020 - “The formation of a Task Force on Immunization gives an opportunity for an inter-sectoral group to review and support current efforts towards reducing unimmunized children in the state”, Dr George Ugwu, the Executive Secretary, Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency observes.
Enugu in the Southeast geo-political region, is one of the States in Nigeria with high number of unimmunized children and inadequate infant antigen coverage, a great source of concern at state and national levels, with unimmunized children summing up to 57,696 across the state.
To change the narrative in immunization coverage statistics in Enugu state, the Deputy Governor, Her Excellency, Lolo Cecelia Ezeilo inaugurated the State Task Force on Immunization (TFI) on February 14, 2020 to provide opportunity for inter-sectoral groups to review and support current efforts aimed at reducing the number of unimmunized children and take preventive health care delivery to rural dwellers.
In February 2009, a special session of the Governor’s forum on Health was convened under the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, all the Executive Governors committed themselves to increased ownership, oversight and engagement on polio eradication, routine immunization and primary health care activities. A key recommendation by experts on ‘’translating these commitments into action and improved programme performance” was the establishment of a high level inter-sectoral committee such as TFI.
Mrs Ijeoma Ezema, a Nsukka based caregiver mentioned that, “we are glad the government is making such moves to make sure no child goes unvaccinated, we need our children protected from the vaccine preventable deadly diseases. It is better than buying medications which we can barely afford sometimes.” She also stated that “the government should provide more health workers and pay them well to provide such services.”
Officials from the Ministry of Gender Affairs and Social Development, State Primary Health Care Development Agency, traditional leaders, faith based organizations, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and Rotary International attended the event. The Permanent Secretary of the Enugu Ministry of Health (who represented the Commissioner for Health) appreciated the Deputy Governor and pledged commitment of the newly inaugurated TFI to their terms of reference.
Technical Contact.
Dr Banda; Email: Bandari@who.int; Tel: +234 803 535 4875
Dr Ada Erinne; Email: erinnea@who.int; Tel: +234 803 307 7509
For Additional Information or to Request Interviews, Please contact:
Ms Charity Warigon Tel: +234 810 221 0093 Email: warigonc@who.int
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Pakistan: Two more polio cases confirmed in Lahore, Okara | The News International.
[February 21, 2020] Amer Malik writes:
LAHORE: The effects of debilitating disease of polio continue as two more cases of wild poliovirus (WPV) have been confirmed in Lahore and Okara districts of Punjab.
The two female victims of the virus are confirmed with a singular difference among normal cases that the virus proved fatal for one child and appeared in the other at a relatively elder age of 14 years. “A female child from Lahore, aged 54 months, has been diagnosed with polio, while another female child from Okara, aged 168 months, has been diagnosed with polio,” the Punjab Polio Programme confirmed in a statement here on Wednesday.
The Punjab Polio Programme, however, claimed that none of the cases would be categorized as cases of current year of 2020, saying that the paralysis had appeared in the two children in December 2019, therefore they would be considered the last cases of 2019.
“Punjab remains in the grip of wild polio virus which paralyzed 12 children in the province in 2019, but none so far in the year 2020,” claimed Sundas Irshad, head of the Polio Programme in Punjab.
Meanwhile, Punjab is in the middle of a five-day national anti-polio immunization campaign, which began on February 17 as the year’s first nation-wide campaign to immunize 19.9 million children in Punjab and 39.6 million across the country. As Punjab has an effective surveillance system, the presence of a huge migrant population from reservoir districts has increased the fear of virus transmission across the country if polio is not eradicated from Punjab.
Sources told The News that the paralysis appeared in the four-and-a-half years old female child from Okara on 08.12.2019 and the 14-year-old female child from Lahore on 28.12.2019, but the former expired on 11.01.2020 before the diagnosis of the crippling disease in two patients was confirmed by the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, on 20.02.2020.
“The peculiar cases of wild poliovirus can be fatal, while in other cases, the disease can emerge at a later age after remaining dormant in the body for a long time,” said an official of the Polio Programme, Punjab, requesting not to be named.
The emergence of new cases of polio have increased the toll of disease to 12 in Punjab and 146 all over Pakistan in the year 2019, making it the worst year in the last five years. A total of two cases of polio were confirmed in Punjab among overall 54 cases in 2015; no case was reported in Punjab among a total of 20 cases in 2016; one case was confirmed in Punjab among overall 8 cases in the country in 2017; and none was reported in Punjab among 12 cases confirmed in the country in 2018.
Although, no case of polio appeared in Punjab in the current year of 2020 so far, however as many as 17 cases of polio have been confirmed this year so far in other parts of the country including 10 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 5 in Sindh and 2 in Balochistan.
Sundas Irshad, incharge of the Polio Programme, Punjab, assured parents that polio vaccine is safe, efficacious, and approved by the government’s drug regulatory authorities. She emphasized the need for all children to be immunized during every round of immunization campaign days. “In a major success in the ongoing national polio eradication drive, the Punjab Polio Programme has vaccinated over 19.95 million children in the first three days. In order to save more children from permanent paralysis, we need to carry the same momentum in the remainder of the low season campaigns till June,” Sundas said.
“The provincial government is committed to the task and is in the process of putting in mechanisms to reach all the missed children and children on the move”, the polio chief said.
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PLOS and the University of California announce open access publishing agreement | The Official PLOS Blog.
[Posted February 19, 2020 ]
Note: PLOS and the University of California issued the following press release on Wednesday, February 19th at 9:00am PST.
SAN FRANCISCO — The Public Library of Science (PLOS) and the University of California (UC) today announced a two-year agreement that will make it easier and more affordable for UC researchers to publish in the nonprofit open access publisher’s suite of journals. By bringing together PLOS, one of the world’s leading native open access publishers, and UC, which accounts for nearly 10 percent of all U.S. publishing output, the pilot breaks new ground in the global movement to advance open access publishing and empower more authors to share their research with the world.
“Scientific research is increasingly an international endeavor, often at its best when it crosses conceptual, disciplinary, and technological boundaries,” said Keith Yamamoto, Vice Chancellor for Science Policy and Strategy and Professor of Cellular Molecular Pharmacology at UC San Francisco, and a member of the PLOS Board of Directors. “Building that global continuum of discovery demands open, efficient, and rapid distribution of information. This agreement shows that key institutional stakeholders — universities and publishers — can work cooperatively to develop sustainable models that serve science, scientists, and trainees.”
Under the agreement, which the partners are working to implement this spring, the UC Libraries will automatically pay the first $1,000 of the article processing charge (APC) for all UC authors who choose to publish in a PLOS journal. Authors who do not have research funds available can request full funding of the article processing charge from the libraries, ensuring that lack of research funds does not present a barrier for UC authors who wish to publish in PLOS journals.
The pilot will illustrate that an institutional participation model that leverages multiple funding sources, rather than only grant funds, can enable a sustainable and inclusive path to full open access.
“This agreement is the result of open and fully collaborative discussions,” said Alison Mudditt, CEO of PLOS. “Open access publishers and libraries are natural allies, and we’re thrilled our first agreement is with UC, given their reputation for strong action supporting open access in the market. Open access is evolving. We have a duty to meet those changing needs with solutions that ensure the future of open access is accessible for all.”
Most institutional agreements have so far focused on subscription publishers that are transitioning to open access. PLOS and UC believe that institutional agreements of this kind can and should include native open access publishers since they are already aligned with current and emerging OA policies and mandates. This pilot builds upon UC’s commitment to a level playing field that supports all authors and all publishers in alignment with the university’s guidelines for evaluating transformative agreements.
“UC and PLOS have a long and close relationship as leaders in open access publishing — and this pilot builds on that partnership,” said Ivy Anderson, associate executive director of UC’s California Digital Library and co-chair of the team overseeing UC’s publisher negotiations. “We want to make it easier and more affordable for researchers to choose open access journals like PLOS when deciding where to submit their work for publication. We intend to continue to partner with a variety of publishers so that together we can help lead the transition to full open access.”
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Pakistan: Parents urged to participate in polio campaign | The Express Tribune.
[February 20, 2020]
RAWALPINDI: The Punjab Minister for Information Fayyzul Hassan Chohan on Wednesday urged parents to actively participate in the ongoing anti-polio drive.
He said this while visiting different areas of the city to review arrangements in Rawalpindi to review arrangements by the district administration for the ongoing five-day anti-polio drive in the district.
Accompanied by the Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Anwarul Haq, Chohan visited a local school in Dhoke Kala Khan area where he administered polio drops to children who were five-years-of-age or less.
The minister declared polio a disease which is a national issue. He added that it is the responsibility of every citizen to play an effective role in making the country polio-free.
Misinformation to blame for polio challenge in K-P
Calling for the active participation of parents in the polio drive, he urged parents to come forward and play their role in immunising their children for the elimination of the crippling disease.
Separately, while chairing a meeting on the ongoing anti-polio drive, Haq said that the cooperation of all departments was necessary for uprooting polio from the society.
“The eradication of polio disease is essential for ensuring a safe future of the next generation,” the DC said, and directed to persuade all parents who had refused to administer the vaccine to their children.
Later in the day, District Health Authority (DHA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Sohail Ahmed, Rawalpindi District Health Officer (DHO) Ehsan Ghani and other related officials visited different union councils (UCs) of the garrison city. The officials reviewed the ongoing drive and inspected the performance of field staff.
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Pakistan: The polio battle | Editorial | The News International.
[February 20, 2020]
Pakistan continues to struggle to eradicate polio from its territory, even as the first nationwide anti-polio drive in over a year was launched on Tuesday. On the same day, a policeman providing security to a vaccinating team was killed in the D I Khan area. It has been decided to continue the campaign despite this setback, but Pakistan will need to think and plan carefully. At the end of last month, when a special drive was organized in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – from where the maximum number of polio cases had been reported in 2019 – two female polio workers were killed in the Swabi area. Pakistan remains one of only two countries in the world still endemic for polio. The other country is Afghanistan.
Till the end of 2018, when 12 cases were reported, it had appeared that Pakistan could be moving towards overcoming a disease that has left thousands crippled over the years. However, the 144 cases reported in 2019, and the 17 already reported in 2020 push back these hopes. One-third of Pakistani children under the age of five are reported to be un-vaccinated effectively against polio either because of refusal by families based on myths about the safety of the vaccine or because the areas where they live are considered unsafe for vaccination teams. Even in a mega city like Karachi where the anti-polio drive began a week ago, vaccinators have reported being met with hostility and even pelted with stones. On Tuesday, the visiting secretary general of the UN emphasized the importance of wiping out polio in Pakistan and delivered drops to three children at a kindergarten in Lahore.
The government, which has been running an anti-polio campaign in the media and also plans to expand it to social media, had conceded last year that there were problems and that new strategies were being devised. With a target of vaccinating over 36 million children across the country in the latest drive, the government will need to examine the problem and assess why so much resistance against the vaccine still exists. Since 2012, at least 101 anti-polio workers and the accompanying security staff have been killed in the line of duty in their efforts to eradicate a disease that refuses to relinquish its grip despite efforts by the media, by social workers, by politicians and by medical experts. This is not an issue Pakistan can take lightly. If the failure this year is as massive as it was in 2019 the country faces new travel restrictions. This will not in any way benefit it or the country’s children. The media of course can play a very big role in helping people overcome whatever negative perceptions they have regarding polio vaccination. We hope that in this Polio versus Pakistan battle, Pakistan comes out the winner.
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Press Release: BMI Vaccine Breakthrough Promises Polio-free World | ResponseSource.
[Wednesday 19 February 2020]
Biological Mimetics, Inc., a vaccine design company based in Frederick, MD, has
announced their development of a next-generation polio vaccine that is safer, more potent, and less expensive to manufacture than current polio vaccines in an effort to boost eradication.
The polio vaccine has been one of the major medical success stories as the incidence of poliomyelitis has been eliminated in almost all countries and global eradication appears close at hand. Polio serotypes 2 and 3 have been successfully eradicated and efforts to eliminate Polio 1 are continuing.
Once eradicated, the current vaccines will need modernization to maintain a polio-free world. The Oral Poliovirus Vaccine (OPV) is an inexpensive and effective vaccine and has been the workhorse of eradication efforts. However, the attenuated strains of OPV can revert to pathogenic forms and this vaccine has been phased out in most countries in favor of the Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine (IPV) which is a killed-virus, injectable vaccine. As eradication progresses, the biosafety and biosecurity concerns associated with current manufacturing of IPV from pathogenic strains will become increasingly serious.
In a call to action, the WHO urged the community to develop and deploy safer polio vaccines, ideally based on inactivated non-pathogenic viruses, which are safer to manufacture, stimulate robust immunity, and are more affordable. Thus, there is a distinct need for an updated vaccine which will maintain immunity for the coming decades.
BMI’s new poliovirus vaccine, ultraIPV, promises to be a key advance that secures and sustains a poliofree world. The vaccine is based on a novel, non-chemical method of inactivating attenuated Sabin strains. This proprietary inactivation process utilizes a powerful antioxidant complex that reduces damage to immunity-enhancing vaccine components which can be destroyed by chemical inactivation methods. The process enables the use of attenuated strains and avoids safety concerns surrounding the current production of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) from dangerous pathogenic strains.
Preclinical testing suggests that the ultraIPV delivers higher immunogenicity per milligram of virus compared to IPV which will allow the production of more doses per unit of purified viruses. A reduction in the amount of input virus will lead to reduced manufacturing costs which will be a key driver in the acceptance of the new vaccine.
Critically, ultraIPV production is compatible with attenuated strains of virus which will simplify the manufacturing process and reduce biosafety concerns.
The global market for polio vaccines is anticipated to record robust CAGR in the coming years. The worldwide market is expected to grow at a CAGR of roughly 5.0% over the next five years, reaching 1,630 million US$ in 2024, from 1,210 million US$ in 2019 (www.marketwatch.com) And, with the continued phase-out of OPV in developing countries, the global use of IPV is expected to increase.
President of BMI, Dr. Gregory Tobin, stated, “We are very encouraged about our advances in vaccine development and production leading to our ultraIPV vaccine and aim to reach out to industry leaders in this space to explore partnership opportunities in the coming months. In addition, this proprietary radiation-inactivated vaccine approach has been applied successfully to against alpha viruses like chikungunya and VEEV and deadly antiobiotic-resistant bacteria.”
Dr. Tobin concluded, “This is an unprecedented opportunity for BMI and it’s business partners, as our ultraIPV, once successfully implemented, will tick all of WHO’s boxes to enable the maintenance of global polio eradiation. We are actively seeking business partners for manufacturing and commercialization of the ultraIPV.”
The early work leading to ultraIPV, which utilizes and earlier version of the proprietary technology, was developed in collaboration with Dr. Michael Daly at the Uniformed Services University Health Sciences and has been recently published in PLOS ONE and is available to read at the following link: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.... The team included Drs. Chumakov and Kouiavskaia at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Dr. Meeks at DTRA. R&D relating to this innovation was supported by a Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) contract and an National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to BMI.
“Today, pathogenic viruses evolved from OPV cause more polio cases than natural “wild” viruses. The spread of vaccine-derived viruses endangers the progress of global eradication. An inexpensive and reliable inactivated Sabin vaccine could help solve this problem,” Daly said.
About Biologic Mimetics, Inc.
Biologic Mimetics, Inc. is a privately held biotechnology company located in Frederick, MD. In addition to its work with radiation-inactivated vaccines, the Company is the inventor and leading practitioner of the Immune Refocusing Technology, a rational antigen design platform. For more information, visit www.biologicalmimetics.com
Those interested in learning more or partnering for commercialization of ultraIPV are encouraged to contact Dr. Tobin at polio@bmi-md.com and visit the company’s website www.bmi-vaccine.com.
Download a PDF for this release.
This press release was distributed by ResponseSource Press Release Wire on behalf of Biological Mimetics Inc in the following categories: Health, Medical & Pharmaceutical, Public Sector, Third Sector & Legal, for more information visit https://pressreleasewire.responsesource.com/about.
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Pakistan: Ulema declare polio vaccination drops Sharia-compliant | DAWN.
[February 20, 2020]
Addressing a press conference along with clerics and religious scholars here on Wednesday, Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) chairman Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi (left) decried those who are opposing the anti-polio campaign and termed it a conspiracy against the country. -- INP/File
Kalbe Ali writes:
ISLAMABAD: Ulema belonging to various schools of thought have reiterated that polio vaccination drops are Sharia-compliant and called upon the general public to make the polio eradication drive a success. They appealed to the general public to cooperate with the state in eradication of polio from the country.
Addressing a press conference along with clerics and religious scholars here on Wednesday, Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) chairman Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi decried those who are opposing the anti-polio campaign and termed it a conspiracy against the country.
“Pakistan Ulema Council, Darul Afta Pakistan, Wafaq-ul-Masajid, Madaris-i-Pakistan and leading ulema and mashaikh have already termed polio drops not only halal but also beneficial for the humans and decrees have been issued that there is nothing harmful or haram in polio drops,” he declared.
Hafiz Ashrafi appealed to the ulema and religious scholars to play their role in making the ongoing anti-polio drive a success and deliver this message in Friday sermons as well. He said polio had been eradicated from all countries of the world, except Afghanistan and Pakistan.
“Parents of children under five years of age should ensure that anti-polio drops are administered to their children. We need to understand that senior clerics and religious scholars from across the Islamic world have issued decrees that there is nothing anti-Sharia in polio vaccine,” he said.
Responding to a question about rising polio cases in the country, the PUC chairman said these also showed inability and failure of the health ministry. “But I would request the parents too as eventually the end sufferers are their children and if they do not administer polio drops to their children under the age of five, they will be held accountable in the life hereafter for putting their children at risk,” he added.
About Pakistan’s relations with other Muslim countries, Hafiz Ashrafi said Pakistan had always played a sensible role in the Muslim world and its relations with Saudi Arabia were not limited to trade or politics, but it was a deep-rooted and time-tested friendship.
Maulana Nauman Hashir, Maulana Abubakar Sabri, Maulana Tahir Aqeel Awan, Maulana Qasim Qasmi, Maulana Tahir Muslim, Maulana Naib Khan, Maulana Shahbaz Ahmed, Maulana Hafizur Rehman, Maulana Afzal Shah Husseini, Maulana Aseedur Rehman Saeed and Maulana Mubashar Raheemi were present at the press conference.
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Pakistan: Anti-polio drive: China, Turkey support Geo News | The News International.
[February 20, 2020] Muhammad Nasir writes:
KARACHI: Foreign diplomats have joined cricketers, anchors, actors, showbiz stars, singers and politicians in the Geo News campaign titled Pakistan vs polio. Chinese diplomat Yao Jing has said in a video message: “The polio spread is a big crisis facing Pakistan at present. My Pakistani brothers and sisters get ready against polio and defeat it. We are standing by you in this war and I believe if you are united, you can defeat polio.”
Turkish diplomat Ahsaan Mustafa Yardkal has said in a video message: “My dear Pakistani brothers, sisters and friends! Pakistan is a country which can control all crises. Like brothers we are with Pakistanis against the war on polio. If you are united, you can easily overcome this problem. He said in Urdu: “Polio Kai Qatrai Pilao, Polio Ko Harao.”
Others who recorded their statements against polio included Salman Butt, Usman Shinwari and Haris Rauf.
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Pakistan: Lahore Chamber Of Commerce & Industry For Continued Efforts Till Polio Eradication | UrduPoint.
[19th February 2020] Umer Jamshaid writes:
LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Feb, 2020 ) :Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh on Wednesday stressed the need for continued efforts to eradicate hazardous virus of polio.
"We cannot leave our generations at mercy of polio. It is a matter of our future therefore everybody will have to play his role to give a final blow to cripple polio disease," he expressed these views in a media statement here.
LCCI President said, "We have to continue working towards polio eradication till we achieve the goal of polio free Pakistan and the world. But we must act quickly and give ourselves the very best chance to succeed." He appreciated the role of government, security forces and organizations which were creating awareness and ensuring polio vaccination of the children.
He condemned attacks on polio teams.
He said that awareness was very much important for eradication of the crippling disease, citing that children suffered from dangerous virus polio every year therefore, all segments of the society would have to play their part in its eradication.
Irfan Iqbal Sheikh was of the view that women could play vital role in this regard and there was a dire need to create awareness among the women so that they knew the importance of the polio immunization and could get their children vaccinated against polio disease.
"If it is done then we will be able to make our country and the province polio-free," he hoped.
He said, Lahore Chamber was quite conscious of its corporate social responsibility,adding that an institution with the name of LABARD had been working for rehabilitation of disabled persons for the last two decades.
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USA: Ohio: A Basketball Blue-out for Unicef raises funds for 215 polio vaccines | Loveland Magazine.
[Feb 19, 2020]
Mihalea Manova writes:
Loveland, Ohio – On February 16, 2020, Loveland’s Unicef Club hosted a collaborative event with the Loveland’s Men’s Basketball team. The “Blue-Out” happened during the game with Withrow, with many being there to support and advocate for Unicef’s cause. To bring attention to children’s rights and fundraise for polio vaccines, attendees raised awareness by wearing blue while members sold chocolate-covered pretzels.
“We are very excited to partner with our boys’ basketball team and connect with our community by blending a love for sport and a love for helping children,” says Loveland Unicef vice-president Mia Forte. “Our goal is not only to fundraise but to advocate for the eradication of polio in countries where it affects children today.”
Specifically, Unicef stands for the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund. With this in mind, Loveland High School is host to its first-ever club with around 15-20 active members. During the night, a booth was set up with an arrangement of various chocolate covered pretzels: milk, white, and even marbled blue and white chocolate. On the sides of the booth were two tri-fold posters that told facts about the club and the main cause of the night: the eradication of polio.
Polio is an epidemic that affects primarily children under the age of 5 years old. The effects from the disease include flu-like symptoms to total paralysis within a few hours. In most countries, this disease is on its way to becoming eradicated due to Unicef’s constant contributions with polio vaccinations (also administered by doctors within the organization). “Unicef manages the procurement and distribution of 1 billion doses of polio vaccines each year.” says the official website.
With the selling of pretzels and collaborative work between attendees, the Loveland Unicef club achieved fundraising enough money for 215 polio vaccines as well as spreading awareness of their goal.
Loveland Unicef commenced in the start of 2019 and is a club that is dedicated to helping children on a local and global level. Its main goals are to advocate, fundraise, and partake in building our community to become aware of the disadvantages that children may have. With this club, they have managed to raise around $500 with various in-school fundraisers including their hot chocolate sale, ice coffee sale, and Trick-or-Treat with Unicef. Alongside building a collective of passionate individuals, Loveland Unicef operates a website and Instagram sharing their triumphs and continuing advocacy.
Unicef helps children in 160 countries to help with their supply of basic needs and in the preservation of their health. To donate, visit unicefusa.org.
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