Côte d'Ivoire faces rise in polio

(New York: 13 October 2004) - The twelfth confirmed case of polio in Côte d'Ivoire in less than a year marks a drastic increase in a country in which polio was thought to have been eradicated.
The number of confirmed cases has risen from 8 to 12 cases in four months. The latest cases have all been confirmed in the northern zone of the country, where medical services have been largely cut off since the country plunged into conflict two years ago.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN World Health Organization have carried out four National Immunization campaigns in 2004, the latest was between the 8th -11th October. They are appealing to international donors for funds to carry out another two rounds of polio and measles vaccinations before the end of the year.

To date, humanitarian agencies have received just 6% of the $14.3 million they have requested to carry out emergency health programs. In terms of overall percentages, the UN's Humanitarian Appeal for Côte d'Ivoire has received less than any other UN appeal - only 16.7% of the $61 million required for emergency programmes in 2004 has been received.

Côte D'Ivoire's polio outbreak is a reflection of the generally precarious state of the health sector in Northern and Western Côte d'Ivoire, the zones most affected by the crisis. Ivorian health staff are yet to be redeployed - in some cases they have been absent since the crisis began two years ago - and as the various state structures responsible for provision of medicines and other supplies are not in place. Currently, local populations rely entirely upon the many humanitarian organisations working within this domain, which are running hospitals, health centres, and mobile health clinics in these areas.

UNICEF continues to reinforce the capacities of the health sector and train health staff on the management of medicines as part of their programme to improve health care and ensure that children are vaccinated properly. The project is financed by the EU and covers the health districts of Bouaké, Korhogo, Boundiali, Tiengrela, Odienné, Bouna, M'bahiakro and Tiébissou. So far UNICEF has trained 36 administrative staff, 22 doctors, 241 nurses and 439 health care assistants, 738 in total.

For further information, please call: Stephanie Bunker, OCHA New York, tel.: 917 367 5126, mobile: 917 892 1679; Elizabeth Byrs, OCHA Geneva, tel.: 41 22 917 2653, mobile 41(0) 79 473 4570.