The UN World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a poliovirus outbreak in Ukraine officially over.

WHO said it was a “public health success story” that Ukraine had managed to stop transmission of the virus that “threatened the lives and futures of its children” and prevent its spread to other countries, all in the face of the ongoing war.

The outbreak was first detected in a young child in Ukraine in October 2021, subsequently linked to a poliovirus episode in Pakistan.

WHO said that the comprehensive outbreak response initiated by Ukraine’s health ministry faced multiple challenges since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, including massive population displacement, destruction of healthcare infrastructure and disruption of logistics routes.

The Government response, supported by WHO and partners, included contact tracing, disease surveillance and an accelerated immunization catch-up campaign for children aged six months to six years who had not received the required doses through routine immunization. 

The UN health agency said that “tremendous credit” should go to the health professionals and parents who continue to make every effort to vaccinate children on schedule, “even while navigating the daily realities and dangers of war”.

Source: UN News

https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/09/1141167