Three wild poliovirus cases reported in past week, 15 total cases in 2019 to date

Officials with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) reported three additional wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases from Afghanistan and Pakistan, bringing the total for 2019 to date to 15.

In Afghanistan, one WPV1 case was reported from Nawzad district in Helmand province this past week. The onset of paralysis was on 3 April 2019. There are now seven WPV1 cases reported in 2019 from Afghanistan.

Two wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases were confirmed in Pakistan, one from Bannu district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and one from North Waziristan district in Khyber Pakthunkhwa.

The cases have onset of paralysis reported on 2 and 4 April 2019, respectively. There are a total number of eight WPV1 cases in Pakistan.

Lastly, on Tuesday, GPEI launched launched the Polio Endgame Strategy 2019-2023, which will guide the program and its partners to overcome the final hurdles to eradication and move toward sustaining a polio-free future.

The strategy details the three main goals–eradication, integration and certification and containment. It also addresses the three key risks towards achieving global eradication of WPV–insecurity and conflict, weak and fragile health systems and operational and resource risks.

The report also notes: