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April 5, 2002

INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Ethiopia: Campaign to Stamp Out Polio Underway"

Africa News Service (www.allafrica.com) (04/04/02)

The World Health Organization announced Thursday that in order to meet global standards, Ethiopia must eradicate polio by year-end. To eliminate the last remaining pockets of the virus, the country has launched a vaccination program targeting over 3 million children.  "The virus must be contained by the year 2005," said WHO social mobilization coordinator Mohammed Idris.  "If we get a case this year, you have to wait three years.  Cases are always considered within a bracket of three years--you cannot say within three years that you have eradicated it."  There were four cases of polio recorded in Ethiopia last year, and 11,000 vaccination teams are now targeting the Afar, Somali, Oromiya, and Benishangul Gumuz states where those cases were found, as part of the effort to eliminate polio worldwide by 2005.

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