Malaysia to join hands with UNICEF for polio vaccination in the Sabah

After the very first case of polio was detected in the Malaysian state of Sabah, Malaysia’s health authorities on December 15 said they are working with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to bring polio vaccines to the state.

On December 6, a three-month-old infant was diagnosed with polio after being admitted to hospital with a fever and muscle weakness, the first such case since 1992. Even the neighbouring nation of Philippines reported its first cases of polio since 1993 in September. The two cases were linked as the polio strain was similar to the one detected in the Philippines, said the Malaysian authorities said.

Read: More Polio Cases Now Caused By Vaccine Than By Wild Virus

Director-General of Health Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a statement on Sunday that Malaysia is planning to work with UNICEF, to get vaccine supply at a low cost for an immunization program for non-citizen children in Sabah. 

Read: Philippines: Health Department Confirms Third Case Of Polio Outbreak

Government, NGOs to join UNICEF

Selected non-governmental organizations and the Philippines government plan to have UNICEF subsidize the cost of the vaccines and as well as help administer them.

Fortunately, no other cases have been reported so far. Stool samples of the people living in the vicinity have been sent for further tests, Husham said. He emphasised on the fact that the best way to eradicate polio is through immunization. Contagious diseases such as polio know no boundaries, he added.

Read: WHO: Wild Poliovirus Type 3 Eradicated, One Strain In Transmission

Eradicating Polio

Polio (Poliomyelitis) is an infectious viral disease that mainly affects young children. According to the World Health Organisation, the virus is transmitted by person-to-person and it spreads mainly through the fecal-oral route or by a common vehicle like contaminated water or food and multiplies in the intestine. From there, it can invade the nervous system and can cause paralysis.

Cases due to wild poliovirus have decreased by over 99% since 1988 from 3,50,000 cases to 33 cases in 2018. Polio symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck, pain in the limbs. It can cause paralysis. The disease can only be prevented by immunization as it does not have a cure. Currently, Afganistan and Pakistan are the only two countries with wild polio circulation.

Read: Malaysia: First Polio Case In Three Decades Reported By Health Ministry

In November this year, as per the WHO reports, global leaders convened at the Reaching the Last Mile Forum in Abu Dhabi and committed to eradicating polio. They pledged US$ 2.6 billion as part of the first phase of the funding to implement the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s Polio Endgame Strategy 2019-2023.

Read: UN Says 1st Local Polio Case Found In Zambia Since 1995