Brazzaville/Bujumbura – Health authorities in Burundi today declared an outbreak of circulating poliovirus type 2 (CVDPV 2) after confirming eight polioviruses, the first such detection in more than three decades.

The cases were confirmed in a four-year-old child in Isale district in western Burundi who had not received any polio vaccination, as well as in two other children who were contacts of the four-year-old boy. Additionally, five samples from environmental surveillance of wastewater confirmed the presence of the circulating poliovirus type 2.

“The detection of the circulating poliovirus type 2 shows the effectiveness of the country’s disease surveillance. Polio is highly infectious and timely action is critical in protecting children through effective vaccination,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa. “We are supporting the national efforts to ramp up polio vaccination to ensure that no child is missed and faces no risk of polio’s debilitating impact.”

The Burundian government—which has declared the detection of the virus a national public health emergency—plans to implement a vaccination campaign to combat polio in the coming weeks, aiming at protecting all eligible children (aged 0‒7 years old) against the virus.

The health authorities, with support from WHO and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) partners, have also embarked on further epidemiological investigations, including risk assessments to determine the extent of the outbreak. Burundi is further bolstering polio surveillance, with WHO experts in the field supporting additional sample collection as well as assessing the possibility of opening of new environmental surveillance sites for early detection of silently circulating poliovirus.

Circulating poliovirus type 2 is the most prevalent form of polio in Africa and outbreaks of this type of poliovirus are the highest reported in the region, with more than 400 cases reported in 14 countries in 2022. Circulating poliovirus type 2 infection can occur when the weakened strain of the virus contained in the oral polio vaccine circulates among under-immunized populations for long periods.

Acute flaccid paralysis is defined by the acute onset of weakness or paralysis with reduced muscle tone in children. There are many infectious and non-infectious causes of acute flaccid paralysis. Polio is one cause of acute flaccid paralysis. Its early detection is critical in containing a potential outbreak. - World Health Organization

JUBA, March 13 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan on Monday launched and formalized One Health Multisectoral Coordination Mechanism (MCM) platform aimed at providing joint efforts from the government and partners in mitigating the health crisis in the country.

Yolanda Awel Deng, Minister for Health, said the initiative aims at providing coordinated efforts from the government and its partners in responding to the health crises and for future mitigation of similar crises.

"This one health stop coordination platform is going to help us in regards to the inclusive process to mitigate any health crisis in the country because there is no one health issue that is in isolation, for example, the cholera outbreak in PoC in Malakal and in Malakal town that alone shows that two-three line ministries have to come together and then they have got one strategy that is going to mitigate like a future crisis," Awel said in Juba, the capital of South Sudan during the launch.

She said the platform is going to be a coordination body that is going to help the government to utilize the little resources they have and the resources from the donors to be utilized properly.

Awel noted that the platform was supposed to be initiated in 2020 but was interrupted by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Martin Elia Lomuro, Minister for Cabinet Affairs, pledged to support the initiative with the support of the president in order to secure the health of the South Sudanese and the environment.

"As a minister for cabinet affairs I will work with the president to ensure the platform is given maximum support and if technically needed we will also be all round we can do what is necessary to secure the health of our people, the health of our environment and health of our animals both domestic and wildlife," Elia said.

The South Sudan One Health Multisectoral Coordination Mechanism Platform brings together all the key line ministries and agencies responsible for human, animal and environmental health coordination.

Effective and sustainable preparedness and response to emergencies and disasters requires a whole of society response that includes key sectors and agencies. - Xinhua

South Sudan's former Inspector General of the National Police Service, Lt. General Achuil Tito Madut, has died after a long fight against lung cancer, the family confirmed.

Lual Achuil, son of the late General, said his father passed on this morning in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

“It is true that he passed away this morning in Nairobi; he has been sick. He was diagnosed with cancer,” Lual told Radio Tamazuj on Sunday.

Lual revealed that plans are underway to fly his body to Juba.

“We are planning to bring the body on Tuesday, and probably, the body will be forwarded to Kuajok on Wednesday for burial,” he said.

William Wol Mayom Bol, Warrap state Information minister, where the late hailed from, also confirmed his death.

“Yes, we also got it on the social media platform that General Achuil Malondit passed on this morning in Nairobi hospital,” Bol confirmed.

“It is a great shock and a great loss to the people of Warrap state, people of Bahr el Ghazal, and people of South Sudan in general because General Tito Achuil was an icon, a reformer of police national south Sudan service and also an elder who had worked for the libation of the independence of south Sudan,” Wol said.

General Tito Achuil hailed from Warrap state's Kwac community. - Radio Tamazuj