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UN agencies call for final push to

Subject: UN agencies call for final push to wipe out polio

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UN agencies call for final push to wipe out polio
(release at 2 a.m. EST 0700 GMT Thursday)=20

UNITED NATIONS, Jan 6 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization and the =
U.N. Children's Fund called on 30 African and Asian heads of state to =
make a final push to wipe out polio, the crippling virus that afflicts =
young children.=20

``We are on the verge of an historic public health victory the =
eradication of poliomyelitis, a disease which has caused untold =
suffering to millions of children in all parts of the world,'' WHO =
director-general Gro Harlem Brundtland and UNICEF executive director =
Carol Bellamy wrote in their letter.=20

The two sent appeals to 30 countries in Africa and southern Asia, saying =
that success in the campaign to eliminate the disease hinges on efforts =
by these nations to wipe out the last traces of the disease.=20

Despite enormous strides in eradicating polio, wars and persistent =
poverty are impeding a final success. Bellamy and Dr. Brundtland, a =
physician and former Norwegian prime minister, appealed particularly to =
nations in conflict zones to initiate a truce so vaccinations could take =
place.=20

Polio has been wiped out in North, Central and South America, Europe and =
the Western Pacific region as well as much of the Middle East and most =
of northern and southern Africa.=20

WHO, UNICEF and Rotary International, which has mobilized volunteers =
around the world for national immunization days, began a campaign in =
1988 to eradicate polio by the end of the year 2000. The volunteers =
administer two drops of liquid of an oral polio vaccine, along with a =
capsule of vitamin A, which builds up a child's resistance and can =
prevent blindness.=20

The number of cases has fallen from some 350,000 in 1988 to some 5,200 =
reported cases in 1999. But many cases are not reported from the =
disease, which is highly infectious, affects the spinal cord and brain =
and causes paralysis and even death in children under five years of age. =


Brundtland at a conference in New Delhi, said the year 2000 was a =
``window of opportunity to defeat the disease forever.'' India has 70 =
percent of the world' remaining polio cases.=20

The 30 countries that received letters from WHO and UNICEF were: Angola, =
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cameroon, Congo =
Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, =
Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Liberia, Mali, =
Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan =
and Togo.=20




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<H2>UN agencies call for final push to wipe out =
polio</H2><!--rf|947142000--><!-- TextStart --><I>(release at 2 a.m. EST =
0700=20
GMT Thursday) </I><BR>
<P>UNITED NATIONS, Jan 6 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization and =
the U.N.=20
Children's Fund called on 30 African and Asian heads of state to make a =
final=20
push to wipe out polio, the crippling virus that afflicts young =
children.=20
<P>``We are on the verge of an historic public health victory the =
eradication of=20
poliomyelitis, a disease which has caused untold suffering to millions =
of=20
children in all parts of the world,'' WHO director-general Gro Harlem =
Brundtland=20
and UNICEF executive director Carol Bellamy wrote in their letter.=20
<P>The two sent appeals to 30 countries in Africa and southern Asia, =
saying that=20
success in the campaign to eliminate the disease hinges on efforts by =
these=20
nations to wipe out the last traces of the disease.=20
<P>Despite enormous strides in eradicating polio, wars and persistent =
poverty=20
are impeding a final success. Bellamy and Dr. Brundtland, a physician =
and former=20
Norwegian prime minister, appealed particularly to nations in conflict =
zones to=20
initiate a truce so vaccinations could take place.=20
<P>Polio has been wiped out in North, Central and South America, Europe =
and the=20
Western Pacific region as well as much of the Middle East and most of =
northern=20
and southern Africa.=20
<P>WHO, UNICEF and Rotary International, which has mobilized volunteers =
around=20
the world for national immunization days, began a campaign in 1988 to =
eradicate=20
polio by the end of the year 2000. The volunteers administer two drops =
of liquid=20
of an oral polio vaccine, along with a capsule of vitamin A, which =
builds up a=20
child's resistance and can prevent blindness.=20
<P>The number of cases has fallen from some 350,000 in 1988 to some =
5,200=20
reported cases in 1999. But many cases are not reported from the =
disease, which=20
is highly infectious, affects the spinal cord and brain and causes =
paralysis and=20
even death in children under five years of age.=20
<P>Brundtland at a conference in New Delhi, said the year 2000 was a =
``window of=20
opportunity to defeat the disease forever.'' India has 70 percent of the =
world'=20
remaining polio cases.=20
<P>The 30 countries that received letters from WHO and UNICEF were: =
Angola,=20
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cameroon, Congo =
Republic,=20
Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, =
Guinea,=20
Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Liberia, Mali, Myanmar, Nepal, =
Niger,=20
Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan and Togo. <!-- TextEnd =
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