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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 26 November 2019

More polio cases now caused

by vaccine than by wild virus

LONDON (AP) — Four Af- in 200 infections results in The group said officials
rican countries have re- paralysis. Among those, a were already "failing bad-
ported new cases of polio small percentage die when ly" to meet a recently ap-
linked to the oral vaccine, their breathing muscles are proved polio goal of stop-
as global health numbers crippled. ping all vaccine-derived
show there are now more Donors last week pledged outbreaks within 120 days
children being paralyzed $2.6 billion to combat polio of detection. It described
by viruses originating in as part of an eradication the initial attitude of WHO
vaccines than in the wild. initiative that began in 1988 and its partners to stopping
In a report late last week, and hoped to wipe out such vaccine-linked po-
the World Health Organi- polio by 2000. Since then, lio cases as "relaxed" and
zation and partners not- numerous such deadlines said "new thinking" on how In this Jan. 25 , 2002 file photo, a Congolese child is given a po-
ed nine new polio cases have been missed. to tackle the problem was lio vaccination at a relief camp near Gisenyi, Rwanda.
caused by the vaccine in To eradicate polio, more needed.q Associated Press
Nigeria, Congo, Central than 95% of a population
African Republic and An- needs to be immunized.
gola. Seven countries else- WHO and partners have Death toll rises to 65 in
where in Africa have similar long relied on oral polio
outbreaks and cases have vaccines because they are
been reported in Asia. Of cheap and can be eas- Kenya flooding over weekend
the two countries where ily administered, requiring
polio remains endemic, only two drops per dose. other child, after the mud-
Afghanistan and Pakistan, Western countries use a slide covered their home
vaccine-linked cases have more expensive injectable while they slept.
been identified in Pakistan. polio vaccine that contains The torrential rain is uncom-
In rare cases, the live virus in an inactivated virus inca- mon for this time of year.
oral polio vaccine can mu- pable of causing polio. Parts of the country could
tate into a form capable The Independent Monitor- continue to face destruc-
of sparking new outbreaks. ing Board, a group set up tive flooding this week, the
All the current vaccine- by WHO to assess polio Kenya Red Cross said. The
derived polio cases have eradication, warned in a aid group
been sparked by a Type 2 report this month that vac- Evacuations continued.
virus contained in the vac- cine-derived polio virus is "No one can sleep in their
cine. Type 2 wild virus was "spreading uncontrolled in homes for now because
eliminated years ago. West Africa, bursting geo- we don't know when the
Polio is a highly infectious graphical boundaries and next land slide will occur,"
disease that spreads in raising fundamental ques- resident Peter Lokor said.
contaminated water or tions and challenges for Passengers from stranded vehicles stand next to the debris from "So many people have
food and usually strikes chil- the whole eradication pro- floodwaters, on the road from Kapenguria, in West Pokot coun- been affected, actually all
ty, in western Kenya Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019.
dren under 5. About one cess." Associated Press those who live in this area,
and everybody is afraid of
By TOM ODULA The victims included three going back home."
Associated Press children, he said. The Kenya Red Cross cited
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Governor John what it called a record-
Heavy rains in Kenya un- Lonyang'apuo said be- breaking temperature rise
leashed a deluge that tween 80,000 and 120,000 in the Indian Ocean in re-
killed five people overnight people have been affect- cent weeks that also has
in the Rift Valley, raising the ed in West Pokot county, caused flooding in South
death toll from weekend the worst hit by the floods Sudan and Somalia.
flooding to 65, officials said and mudslides. The gov- Now Djibouti is affected.
Monday. ernor said at least 52 peo- The Horn of Africa nation's
The five were returning ple were confirmed dead capital reportedly saw
home after attending a there. more than three times its an-
wedding in Tanzania when "I have lost three children," nual rainfall between Thurs-
their car was washed said one resident, William day and Sunday alone, the
away, said Daudi Loron- Lokapel. He described how United Nations humanitar-
yokwe, a police chief in Ka- his wife managed to strug- ian office said. More heavy
jiado Central community. gle to safety, clutching an- rains are forecast.q