Govt declares polio outbreak

• Two children contracted the virus from Southern Sudan.

• WHO representative to Kenya Dr David Okello says the two cases were a cause to worry about.

• Emergency vaccination, which is set to cost Sh5million, will be done in two phases.

The Kenya Government has declared a polio outbreak and sounded a warning over its spread.

The Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation have said two cases have been reported in Turkana district, North Eastern province of the infectious disease.

The Director of Public Health and Sanitation Dr Shahnaaz Sharif said emergency vaccination has been ordered in the area and is set to begin within the next two weeks.

“We will conduct emergency polio immunisation campaign targeting all under five year old children in the whole Turkana region,” said Dr Shariff at Afya House, Nairobi.

Investigations by Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) confirmed that one child, a four year old girl, had contracted the polio virus.

The results of the other child, who showed similar symptoms, are yet to be released.

It is believed that the two children contracted the virus from Southern Sudan.

Speaking at the press briefing, WHO representative to Kenya Dr David Okello said that the two cases were a cause to worry about.

“In a polio free country like Kenya, one case is an outbreak, certain actions have to be taken.”

The emergency vaccination, which is set to cost Sh5million, will be done in two phases. 300,000 doses of the vaccine have already been sent in by WHO.

It will be in conjunction with similar undertakings in Eastern Uganda, Southern Sudan and Ethiopia.

According to WHO, polio is a viral disease which attacks children under five years. The disease, which manifests through fever, headaches and sore throat, often weakens muscles and results in deformity or paralysis.

Kenya has been polio free for the last 20 years with the last isolated cases being confirmed in 2006 in Daadab refugee camp.

Major global immunisation campaigns such as the 'Kick Polio out of Kenya campaigns' have seen the near eradication of the disease.

The Ministry of Health blames the re-emergence of the disease on failure to cover all parts of the country.

They say immunisation coverage stands at 70 per cent instead of the desired 80.

Although vaccination is available, Dr Shariff said the difficulty lay in getting to mothers and young children in remote areas.