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Highlights
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Eighteen (18) cases of poliovirus type 2 variant (cVDPV2) have been confirmed in Guinea in 2023, including 13 cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), 3 contacts, and 2 cases identified through environmental surveillance.
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During the first round of country-wide campaign (27–30 October 2023):
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3,598,977 children aged 0-59 months were vaccinated against polio (107 per cent of the target).
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114,800 children aged 0-2 years were vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough (Catch up Penta 3; 22.5 per cent of the target).
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21 staff and 2 stop team consultants were deployed by UNICEF to supervise the campaign.
Situation Overview
In 2023, 11 cases of cVDPV2 (7 cases of acute flaccid paralysis, 3 contacts and 1 environmental surveillance case) were recorded in Siguiri (Kankan region), while 2 cases of PV2 samples are being sequencing as of October 13, 2023, including a case in Conakry. The first suspected case of poliovirus, a 2-year-old child who suffered paralysis of the left leg, was notified by the Siguiri prefectural hospital on June 22, 2023.
The risk of poliovirus spreading within the country and to neighboring countries remains high. A genetic link was established with the virus detected in Algeria in July 2023, confirming the potential spreading inside Guinea and among the neighboring countries. Limited vaccination coverage and access to health facilities increase this risk.
Following the Round Zero in the targeted district, Round 1 of the vaccination campaign is scheduled for October 27th-30th, 2023, and Round 2 for November 2023, and will cover all 38 health districts of the country. Concerns over raising numbers of diphtheria and whooping cough cases justified the integration of the Penta vaccination in the campaigns.
Situation Overview
In 2023, 18 cases of cVDPV2 (13 cases of acute flaccid paralysis, 3 contacts and 2 environmental surveillance cases) were reported in Siguiri and Mandiana prefectures (Kankan region), while 13 cases of PV2 samples were sequenced from 9 November 2023. The first suspected case of poliovirus, a 2-year-old child with a paralysis of the left leg, was reported by the Siguiri Prefectural Hospital on 22 June 2023.
The risk of poliovirus spread within the country and to neighboring countries remains high. A genetic link was established with the virus detected in Algeria in July 2023, confirming the potential spread inside Guinea and among the neighboring countries. Limited vaccination coverage and access to health facilities increase this risk. Therefore, in support of the country’s efforts to respond to the polio epidemic, UNICEF is actively supporting the leadership of the Ministry of Health, alongside WHO and other partners, to implement the Polio National Response Plan, towards ending the circulation and transmission of cVDPV2 by the end of 2023.
Following Round Zero in the targeted districts (8-11 September 2023), Round 1 of the national immunization campaign ran from 27 to 30 October 2023, covering all the country’s 38 health districts. Due to concerns over increasing diphtheria and whooping cough, the Pentavalent vaccine catch-up was integrated into the campaign. Round 2 is scheduled for 1-4 December 2023 (TBC).