A new polio epidemic is detected in an area located in the Far North of Cameroon, the Ministry of Public Health said on Friday in a statement, adding that a national wide vaccination campaign was launched to contain the epidemic.
It should be noted, the statement said, “(…) a new polio epidemic following the confirmation of a case of type-2 poliovirus detected in samples taken in the surroundings of Mada,” a district in the Far North of the country.
By announcing the organization of a response vaccination campaign, the Ministry refers to a “public health emergency” to stop, within 90 days, the transmission of the virus among the population throughout the national territory.
The Sahel region of detection of the strain of poliovirus, where the alerts usually came, is an area where there are also strong cross-border migratory movements, with populations often reluctant to vaccinate their children.
In 2015, Cameroon was declared poliomyelitis-free, and since last February, it began planning for the transition of resources from the dedicated program to other national health programs, for a projected 2017-2021 budget of over 37.451 billion CFA francs.
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