JOHANNESBURG, 24 July (IRIN) - A lack of funding threatens the progress being made in the fight against polio in Angola, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has warned.

In a statement released on Thursday, UNICEF said "although funds exist for the two planned NIDS [National Immunisations Days] of 2003, shortfalls endanger future campaigns".

"We are winning the war against polio and the results are there to see, but we need continued international support. To stop support would be a disaster," UNICEF Representative Mario Ferrari was quoted as saying.

"Because of Angola's damaged infrastructure and weak capacity, we are obliged to rely on national immunisation campaigns," Ferrari added.

He noted, however, that the World Health Organisation and UNICEF aimed "to shift more and more to routine vaccination, until campaigns are no longer needed".

UNICEF said polio is "a cruel disease that leaves victims either paralytic or dead. Successive campaigns have put Angola in a position to defeat polio, though given the threat of 'importing' the virus from neighbouring countries, surveillance and vaccine levels must be maintained".

About 5 million children were expected to be vaccinated during Angola's first polio immunisation days during 2003, from July 25 to 27.

"As the world moves closer to being declared polio-free, only seven countries continue to have proven cases of the disease. Six more, including Angola, are considered at high risk of polio re-infection," UNICEF said.

The peace accord of 2002 meant that for the first time the ministry of health, with the support of UNICEF and WHO, could now "attack polio nationwide".

Angola last experienced a polio outbreak in 1999, which saw more than 1,000 cases recorded. The number of polio cases had since dropped to just 55 recorded in 2000.

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