© WHO
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=30877&SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=WEST_AFRICA
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ABIDJAN, 12 Nov 2002 (IRIN) - At least 60 million children
under five years of age in 16 West African countries are to be vaccinated this
week against polio, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Tuesday.
The world's largest vaccine manufacturer, Aventis Pasteur, has donated 30
million doses of oral polio vaccines to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative
to facilitate the vaccination.
"This week, 16 West African countries are uniting to vaccinate all children
under five within their borders," WHO said in a press statement. "Immunization
campaigns over the past two years have driven the number of polio-endemic
countries in Africa to an all-time low. In 1999, 20 African countries were
polio-endemic, but to date this year only three are considered endemic."
The reduction in polio endemic countries was due to the Global Polio Eradication
Initiative, a broad partnership forged to deliver polio vaccines to every child
under five, WHO said. Almost three million of the 30 million doses of the
donated vaccine would be used for immunization in Liberia.
"We are further strengthening the solidarity which has brought us to the cusp of
a polio-free world, and will indeed push us to full success," said Gro Harlem
Brundtland, Director-General of the World Health Organization, said.
The 16 countries are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria,
Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is spearheaded by WHO, Rotary
International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and UNICEF.
Aventis Pasteur has donated 120 million vaccine doses since 1997, mainly
targeting African countries affected by conflict.
Since its launch in 1988, the initiative has reduced the range of transmission
of the polio virus from 125 countries to 10 countries in 2002. Of the 10, India,
Nigeria and Pakistan continue to have high-intensity transmission, WHO said.
[ENDS]
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