Latest news with #SevilHuseynova
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Polio detected in Papua New Guinea, medical response is underway
May 16 (UPI) -- The Papua New Guinea National Department of Health announced early Friday that a polio outbreak has struck there. The nation's government said it is "stepping up its response after the poliovirus was detected in wastewater samples and in two healthy children in Lae, Morobe Province." The World Health Organization has reported that less than 50% of the country's population have been immunized against the disease, which is caused virally via contact with an infected person's feces or droplets that come with sneezes and coughs. Polio mostly affects kids under five years old and cannot be cured. The two children who tested positive in Lae are said to be symptom-free, which is commonly the case. Some may develop flu-like symptoms, but the virus can also occasionally cause paralysis and become life-threatening if breathing muscles are impacted. The BBC reports that Papua New Guinea's WHO representative Sevil Huseynova said "We have to do something about it and we have to do it immediately," and that "We have to make maximum effort to get 100% [vaccination] coverage." In a post to Facebook Friday, the Papua New Guinea government said its Health Minister Elias Kapavore has called the situation "serious but manageable," and "We've dealt with this before and know what works." He also added that "Vaccination is safe and effective, and we're acting quickly to keep children protected." The Papua New Guinea government also announced Friday that as of Wednesday its "planned response includes at least two rounds of nationwide vaccination. These vaccines are free, safe, and widely used around the world, and the health system is working to ensure they are available to all children under five, no matter where they live." The country also declared it will take "immediate steps include expanding disease monitoring to detect any further cases swiftly and effectively. Testing is being increased, and surveillance efforts are being strengthened across the country to monitor for any additional signs of the virus." Polio has broken out before in Papua New Guinea, with the most recent incident happening in June of 2018, after a reported 20 years of the nation being considered polio-free.
UPI
16-05-2025
- Health
- UPI
Polio detected in Papua New Guinea, medical response is underway
May 16 (UPI) -- The Papua New Guinea National Department of Health announced early Friday that a polio outbreak has struck there. The nation's government said it is "stepping up its response after the poliovirus was detected in wastewater samples and in two healthy children in Lae, Morobe Province." The World Health Organization has reported that less than 50% of the country's population have been immunized against the disease, which is caused virally via contact with an infected person's feces or droplets that come with sneezes and coughs. Polio mostly affects kids under five years old and cannot be cured. The two children who tested positive in Lae are said to be symptom-free, which is commonly the case. Some may develop flu-like symptoms, but the virus can also occasionally cause paralysis and become life-threatening if breathing muscles are impacted. The BBC reports that Papua New Guinea's WHO representative Sevil Huseynova said "We have to do something about it and we have to do it immediately," and that "We have to make maximum effort to get 100% [vaccination] coverage." In a post to Facebook Friday, the Papua New Guinea government said its Health Minister Elias Kapavore has called the situation "serious but manageable," and "We've dealt with this before and know what works." He also added that "Vaccination is safe and effective, and we're acting quickly to keep children protected." The Papua New Guinea government also announced Friday that as of Wednesday its "planned response includes at least two rounds of nationwide vaccination. These vaccines are free, safe, and widely used around the world, and the health system is working to ensure they are available to all children under five, no matter where they live." The country also declared it will take "immediate steps include expanding disease monitoring to detect any further cases swiftly and effectively. Testing is being increased, and surveillance efforts are being strengthened across the country to monitor for any additional signs of the virus." Polio has broken out before in Papua New Guinea, with the most recent incident happening in June of 2018, after a reported 20 years of the nation being considered polio-free.
Saudi Gazette
16-05-2025
- Health
- Saudi Gazette
WHO declares polio outbreak in Papua New Guinea
GENEVA — The World Health Organization has declared a polio outbreak in Papua New Guinea and called for an "immediate" vaccination campaign. Samples of the highly infectious virus were found in two healthy children during a routine screening in Lae, a coastal city in the country's northeast. Less than half of the country's population is immunized against the potentially deadly disease, which is close to being wiped out but has recently resurfaced in some parts of the world. "We have to do something about it and we have to do it immediately," said Sevil Huseynova, WHO's representative in Papua New Guinea, warning that the disease could spread beyond the country. "We have to make maximum effort to get 100% [vaccination] coverage," Dr Huseynova said at a media conference on Thursday. "Polio knows no borders." The disease is caused by the poliovirus, which spreads through contact with an infected person's faeces or droplets when they cough and sneeze. It mostly affects children under five years old. There is no cure for polio, although the majority of people with the infection - including the two recent cases in Papua New Guinea - have no symptoms. Those who do may get a flu-like illness. A small number of people infected with polio - between one in a thousand and one in a hundred - develop more serious problems that can lead to paralysis. This is also when the disease becomes life-threatening, particularly when paralysis affects muscles used for breathing. Papua New Guinea was said to be polio-free since 2000, until an outbreak in 2018, which was contained within the same year. The latest cases were found to be carrying a virus strain genetically linked to one circulating in Indonesia. Papua New Guinea shares a border with Indonesia's easternmost Papua province. Health Minister Elias Kapavore has vowed to achieve 100% polio immunisation in the country by the end of this year. "There is no excuse... Polio is a serious disease," he said. The ongoing campaign will target children aged 10 and below and is expected to reach around 3.5 million people. "The battle on polio starts today," the department wrote in a Facebook post yesterday. The WHO, UN's children agency Unicef and Australia's government are supporting Papua New Guinea in its rollout of vaccines. Unicef's Papua New Guinea representative Veera Mendonca pointed out the disparity in vaccination coverage across the country - with coverage as low as 8% in some districts. "That is not acceptable," she said, adding that Unicef is working with churches and community leaders to encourage vaccination and to dispel any misinformation. Polio has staged a comeback elsewhere in Asia in recent years. Pakistan saw 74 cases of the disease last year, while Afghanistan recorded 24 cases. The WHO has also warned of an outbreak in war-torn Gaza after traces of the virus were found in wastewater. — BBC
Business Recorder
16-05-2025
- Health
- Business Recorder
Polio outbreak declared in Papua New Guinea
SYDNEY: A polio outbreak has been declared in Papua New Guinea, sparking concern about the disease's spread in a country with low vaccination rates, health officials said. Poliovirus, most often spread through sewage and contaminated water, is highly infectious and potentially fatal. It can cause deformities and paralysis and mainly affects children under five years old. The virus was detected in wastewater and environmental samples in the Pacific nation's capital Port Moresby and second largest city Lae, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. In subsequent testing, two children in Lae were found to have the poliovirus type 2 strain, according to the WHO representative in Papua New Guinea, Sevil Huseynova. The confirmation of community transmission in the children 'constitutes a polio outbreak', Huseynova said in briefing notes provided to AFP on Friday. The health agency 'expresses deep concern over the confirmed outbreak', she said. Polio virus detected in 22 environmental samples across Pakistan: NEOC Genetic testing showed the polio strain detected in Papua New Guinea was linked to one circulating in Indonesia. Papua New Guinea was certified as polio-free in 2000, but immunisation rates among children are low – less than 50 percent, according to the WHO. 'Polio is a highly infectious disease, and in communities with low polio immunisation rates, the virus quickly spreads from one person to another,' Huseynova said. Papua New Guinea Health Minister Elias Kapavore said the situation was 'serious but manageable'. 'We've dealt with this before and know what works,' he told reporters on Thursday. 'Vaccination is safe and effective, and we're acting quickly to keep children protected.'
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Polio outbreak declared in Papua New Guinea
Sydney: A polio outbreak has been declared in Papua New Guinea, sparking concern about the disease's spread in a country with low vaccination rates, health officials said. Poliovirus, most often spread through sewage and contaminated water, is highly infectious and potentially fatal. It can cause deformities and paralysis and mainly affects children under five years old. The virus was detected in wastewater and environmental samples in the Pacific nation's capital Port Moresby and second largest city Lae, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. In subsequent testing, two children in Lae were found to have the poliovirus type 2 strain, according to the WHO representative in Papua New Guinea, Sevil Huseynova. The confirmation of community transmission in the children "constitutes a polio outbreak", Huseynova said in briefing notes provided to AFP on Friday. The health agency "expresses deep concern over the confirmed outbreak", she said. Genetic testing showed the polio strain detected in Papua New Guinea was linked to one circulating in Indonesia. Papua New Guinea was certified as polio-free in 2000, but immunisation rates among children are low -- less than 50 percent, according to the WHO. "Polio is a highly infectious disease, and in communities with low polio immunisation rates, the virus quickly spreads from one person to another," Huseynova said. Papua New Guinea Health Minister Elias Kapavore said the situation was "serious but manageable". "We've dealt with this before and know what works," he told reporters on Thursday. "Vaccination is safe and effective, and we're acting quickly to keep children protected."
