Malawi Government Declares Outbreak of cVDPV2

(MENAFN) Malawi’s government announced a new outbreak of type 2 circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV2) after it was detected in environmental samples.

Secretary for Health and Sanitation Dan Namarika said the virus was identified through routine sewage monitoring at two locations in Blantyre, the country’s commercial hub.

The ministry warned that the virus poses serious health risks and can lead to permanent paralysis, particularly in children, similar to the effects of wild poliovirus.

“Following advice from the World Health Organization (WHO), the ministry is working around the clock to intensify measures to contain the outbreak, as we did in 2022. We therefore urge the general public to maintain food hygiene precautions to prevent the spread of the virus and to ensure that children are fully vaccinated,” Namarika said.

“We are putting in place plans to conduct supplementary immunization campaigns to protect children and prevent further transmission,” he added.

Malawi last responded to polio in 2022, after a case of wild poliovirus type 1 was confirmed in a 14-year-old, marking the first case in three decades. No further cases were reported until now.

The UN children’s agency, UNICEF, has been assisting Malawi in its polio eradication efforts by supplying 6.8 million vaccine doses and helping strengthen the country’s immunization supply chain.

Polio primarily affects the nervous system and, if untreated, can result in physical disability.

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