NIGERIA has recorded a new case of Wild Polio Virus type 1 (WPV1) in Jigawa, bringing the total number of cases for 2011 to 45. According to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) Weekly Polio update, it is the most recent case in the country and had onset of paralysis on October 29.To address the issue, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) plans rapid surveillance assessments before the end of the year in three southern states with suboptimal surveillance indicators. The agency also plans assessments for key high-risk areas in the North, including Kaduna, Taraba and Bauchi in January.Also, the African Regional Conference on Immunisation was held last week in Windhoek, Namibia, under the theme: 'Towards a polio-free Africa'.Discussions focused on strengthening both the technical and logistical aspects of the immunisation systems, such as the vaccine cold chain supply; immunisation financing; disease surveillance; integrated communications and social mobilisation towards reaching every last child.The Minister of State for Health, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said technical staff capacity continued to be scaled up to support activities in known transmission areas. Also, the second working meeting of the Presidential Task Force was held last week and it was chaired by Pate, Minister of State for Health.President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to formally inaugurate the task force during the first week of December. President Jonathan had announced the creation of the task force in September, mandating responsibility for polio eradication to the office of the Minister of State for Health.According to the GPEI report, no cases of polio were reported in West Africa in the penultimate week. The total number of cases for 2011 in the West African region remains 48 (36 from Cte d'Ivoire, three from Guinea, seven from Mali and two from Niger). All cases are WPV3, except for one WPV1 case from Niger.The report reads: 'Much of the West African importation belt took part in the multi-country round, which took place on October 28. Togo postponed participation in the multi-country round, instead vaccinating children under five using trivalent OPV on November 11. A smaller multi-country round was launched on November 25, covering all of Mali and Cte d'Ivoire along with parts of Guinea, Liberia and Niger.'West Africa continues to be the global epicentre for WPV3 transmission, a strain on the verge of elimination. Five different WPV3 transmission chains are affecting the region, with three of these circulating in Nigeria'.
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