Jigjiga(Mogadishu24)-In a dedicated effort to combat polio, officials in the Somali State of Ethiopia held a polio prevention meeting in Jigjiga, with international partners including the World Health Organization (WHO), USAID, UNICEF, Save the Children, PATH, Girl Effect, and the Clinton Health Access Initiative.

The event highlighted the importance of vaccination in preventing the spread of polio, marking World Polio Day on Friday.

Deputy Minister of Health for Somali State, Hawo Saleban, and regional presidential advisor for economic issues, Dr. Dahir Mohamed, emphasized the importance of ongoing awareness campaigns to educate communities about the risks of polio.

“Polio is highly infectious and can cause irreversible paralysis in children and adults. Vaccination is our only tool to prevent this,” said Hawo Saleban.

WHO Ethiopia presented on the global and regional impact of polio, underscoring the development and deployment of the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), which has been administered globally since March 2021. The WHO highlighted that the new vaccine, developed over a decade, has proven safe and effective, with over 500 million doses administered across African countries.

Polio mainly affects children under five, with one in 200 infections leading to permanent paralysis.

WHO noted that while polio cases have decreased by over 99% since 1988, the presence of the virus in two endemic countries remains a global threat.

Experts at the meeting emphasized that even a single remaining case leaves all children at risk, stressing the importance of robust vaccination and surveillance efforts to fully eradicate the virus.

The event served as a reminder of the need for coordinated international efforts to prevent a resurgence of polio and strengthen public health systems to manage other infectious diseases, ensuring a healthier future for all.