No Polio cases reported this week.  See the updated numbers attached.
What is that Polio Picture?  It's a picture of a few of the thousands of volunteers who have immunized over 230 million children in Africa.  Could 2015-16 be the year of the final Polio case?
Quote of the day - "When people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate each other."  Anonymous
Pakistan - No new Polio case reported in Pakistan.  Twenty-nine Polio cases have been reported in 2015 compared to 115 at this time last year.  Pakistan will introduce Inactivated (injected) Polio Vaccine into their routine immunization schedule this week! The introduction of IPV has already made great strides, with 20 countries adding the vaccine to their immunization schedules between January and July this year alone, bringing the number of countries using the vaccine to 97. This means that 51% of the global birth cohort is now receiving at least one-dose of IPV. A surge of introductions in the coming months will lead to over 75% of countries having at least one dose of IPV in their routine immunization systems by the end of October. By the end of the year, all countries with the highest risk of wild poliovirus or the emergence of vaccine-derived polioviruses- the highest priority categories for IPV introduction- will have completed the introduction. This will ensure that the most vulnerable children are given the best possible protection against polio.
The Final Three Endemic Countries:

 

Pakistan - Twenty Nine Polio cases reported in 2015 with 306 cases recorded in 2014  The most recent case was reported on 06/30/15 in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.    
 
Afghanistan - Seven Polio cases reported in 2015 with 28 cases recorded in 2014. The most recent case was reported on 07/17/15 from the Achin District of Nangarhar.   
Nigeria - Zero Polio cases reported in 2015 with 6 cases recorded in 2014.  The most recent case was reported on 7/24/14.  
 
Importation Countries:
 
Ethiopia (1 case in 2014), Cameroon (5 cases in 2014), Somalia (5 cases in 2014), Iraq (2 cases in 2014), Syria (1 case in 2014), & Equatorial Guinea (5 cases in 2014) - all report no Polio cases in 2015. 
   
 
 
 
Our Goal is Global Polio Eradication!!