Port Moresby sources made a statement that an outbreak of polio has been confirmed in Papua New Guinea, 18 years after the country was declared free of the disease. Media report added that public health emergency has been declared. As per report at least three provinces Morobe, Madang and the Eastern Highlands confirmed the outbreak of the potentially deadly virus over this week following a meeting by the National Executive Council.
Minister for Health Puka Temu said the public health emergency order will remain in place for at least 12 months. Accordingly the World Health Organization (WHO) says the virus was detected in a six year old boy in April. Moreover the same strain of the virus has now been detected in other healthy children in the same community, making it officially an outbreak.
As per report polio has no cure and can lead to irreversible paralysis and
moreover it mainly affects children under the age of five, and can only be
prevented by giving a child multiple vaccine doses.
