Rotary has approved a $500,000 Rapid Response grant to the World Health Organization (WHO) to address a recent polio outbreak in Somalia. The outbreak occurred in the Banadir region of Somalia, where a large number of children had not been vaccinated against polio due to inaccessibility. As of 14 August, 110 cases of wild poliovirus have been reported in the Horn of Africa—100 cases in Somalia and 10 in Kenya. This is the first outbreak in Somalia since 2007 and in Kenya since 2011. The Rotary grant will cover operational costs, including human resources, training, and transportation of health workers, aimed at immunizing children under ten in all accessible areas of Somalia in August. To date, five vaccination campaigns have been held in Somalia, three in Kenya, two each in Ethiopia and Yemen, and one in Djibouti. Additional campaigns are planned through the end of the year. Rotary’s emergency funding for responses to polio outbreaks in Somalia and other countries has been critical to ensuring that immunization activities proceed without interruption, thereby minimizing the risk of the disease’s further international spread. The United Nations has warned that without further intervention, polio could quickly develop into an epidemic across East Africa and put countless lives at risk. With the assistance of the United Kingdom, Japan and Rotary the World Health Organization will be able to immunize 6.1 million people most at risk from the disease in Somalia, northern Kenya, and other countries in the region. Your contribution to the Rotary Foundation will enable the total eradication of Polio across the world. Thank you for your generosity.
Posted on: Wed, 11 Sep 2013 16:41:21 +0000
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