The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched a preliminary emergency appeal for 1,501,011 Swiss francs (1.5 million US dollars or 1.1 million euros) to respond to an outbreak of wild polio virus in the Republic of Congo. The appeal will support the Congolese Red Cross in providing assistance to some 4 million beneficiaries over six months.
The outbreak of the wild poliovirus has left 280 paralysed and 128 dead – mostly young adults aged between 15 and 25 – according to latest WHO reports. This is the first time that the Republic of Congo has reported a case of polio since 2000. The most affected areas are at the coast around and in Pointe Noire, the southern areas in Niari and Bouenza, and around and in Brazzaville.
The Congolese government declared a national emergency on 9 November and announced plans to vaccinate the entire population during at least three campaigns – each person will receive three doses of oral drops. These campaigns will be conducted with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other humanitarian actors in the field, including the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
As Christian Sédar Ndinga, President of the Congolese Red Cross, explains: “The situation is dire and we are very concerned as the epidemic is spreading at an unprecedented rate. Swift action is needed. We have mobilized more than 700 Red Cross volunteers to respond to the emergency, namely in Kouilou and Pointe Noire, where it has hit the hardest. They are raising community awareness and calming the population to avoid panic. We will also participate in the national immunization campaign, whilst also focusing our efforts in the most affected areas.”
IFRC intends to deploy a team of experts from the regional delegation in Yaoundé to help assess the situation and assist in coordinating the immediate support needed with the National Society. The Congolese Red Cross and the IFRC are coordinating with all humanitarian and health actors in the field to respond to this emergency in the most efficient manner. The Federation programme coordinator is in the field, for an initial assessment, in the city of Pointe Noire and the Kouilou area.
According to Kate Elder, senior health officer at IFRC: “This is a serious outbreak with an unusually high fatality rate, which is alarming. But it reinforces that everyone is vulnerable to polio until we have successfully eradicated the disease. We must strengthen disease surveillance in order to quickly detect polio and stop its transmission. We have an effective and affordable vaccine. We just need to make sure everyone is sufficiently immunized to avoid these outbreaks.” Such explosive outbreaks can be rapidly controlled if the necessary resources are promptly put in place to respond effectively with swift, high-quality vaccination campaigns.
Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus that invades the nervous system, and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours. The virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine. Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck, and pain in the limbs. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis, usually in the legs. Among those paralysed, 5 per cent to 10 per cent die when their breathing muscles become immobilized.
For more information, please read the IFRC’s report Immunization: unfinished business.