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How can one help PolioPlus Ride 2003?
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PolioPlus Updates 2002 Immunization effort targets 3.4 million in Ethiopia Ethiopia's health ministry and the Global Polio Eradication Partners have embarked on accelerated immunization activities aimed at making the eastern African country polio-free by 2005. As part of this concerted effort, more than 11,000 health workers and Rotarians are conducting this year's first round of house-to-house Sub-National Immunization Days launched on 30 March. Some 3.4 million children under age 5 are being targeted in selected zones of Afar, Oromia, Somali, and Benishangul Gumuz, states where four reported cases of polio were found last year. These were also areas in which vaccinators were unable to reach many children during National Immunization Days (NIDs) in November and December 2001. "While Ethiopia is polio-endemic, with concerted effort from all partners, it can achieve polio-free status by 2005," said Dr. Mahendra Sheth, UNICEF's health and nutrition section chief in the country. This phase of vaccinations is extremely important for Ethiopia, as the country must wipe out polio by the end of the year to be certified in time for declaring the world polio-free by 2005, according to a WHO official. "This is the most critical year for Ethiopia," said Mohammed Idris, a local WHO social mobilization coordinator. Financial, material, and technical assistance is being
provided by RI and its polio eradication partners. The Rotary Foundation,
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the government
of Japan have contributed a total of $2.2 million to facilitate the ongoing
effort, which ends this week. An estimated $16 million will be required
for NIDs in November and December 2002, according to a UNICEF press release
in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital.
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