[b]State plans nationwide polio vaccination[/b]
By Samuel Otieno - East African Standard
The Government may be forced to conduct a nationwide polio vaccination at a cost of Sh720 million.
The Director of Medical Services, Dr James Nyikal, said the emergency exercise would be conducted if ongoing investigations reveal that the new case of polio reported originated within the country.
"This means that the disease has re-emerged in the country and we will have to vaccinate all children ," Nyikal said.
Nyikal said investigations have been launched to establish the origin of the disease that was reported in one of Kenya’s refugee camps.
"Our team is out to find out whether the child got it (polio) here or not," Nyikal said.
Two weeks ago, a three year-old girl was diagnosed with polio in one of the three refugee camps in Dadaab.
The girl had reportedly received all necessary vaccinations but still contracted polio — the first reported case in Kenya in more than 20 years.
Speaking after closing a conference on clubfoot care in Limuru last week, Nyikal said that the one case poses a threat of re-emergence of polio 20 years after it was declared eradicated.
"One case is a threat because it can spread to other districts easily," Nyikal said.
He said the threat of polio entering Kenya became imminent when the disease was detected in the neighbouring Somalia and Ethiopia.
He said plans are under way to conduct a vaccination exercise in 16 districts surrounding the Kenya/Ethiopia and Kenya/Somalia borders in early November.
On Sunday, the Government said it required more than Sh18 million for an emergency polio immunisation launched at the refugee camps.
Separately, United Nations High Commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) urgently requires about Sh734.4 million to cater for the swelling numbers of refugees crossing into the country.
The funds — still subject to approval — will be used to plan, co-ordinate and implement the emergency in collaboration with other UN agencies, UNHCR spokesperson, Ms Jennifer Pagonis said.
Speaking at a press briefing in Geneva, Pagonis said the UN had issued an appeal for $35 million to meet the needs of growing numbers of refugees in North-Eastern Kenya over the next six months.
Pagonis noted that the influx of refugees from Somalia has stretched the capacities of all humanitarian agencies.
