In a speech delivered at the 30th Pan American Sanitary Conference, Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga defended surveillance, which detects and investigates all cases of acute flaccid paralysis, a syndrome associated with polio, saying America is at a delicate moment in the face of the threat of a return of the disease. to the region.

America is going through a difficult moment in the face of the threat of a return of polio – Photo: Marcello Casal Jr./Agência Brasil/ND

“We need to expand vaccination coverage and strengthen our surveillance systems to avoid the risk of a re-emergence of this vaccine-preventable disease in our region. We need to act now. We need to work together,” he said.

The minister also stressed the need to develop an updated outbreak response plan in line with the operational procedures established by the WHO (World Health Organization).

Campaign against polio in Brazil

Brazil has a national polio vaccination campaign due to end next Friday (30). There are doses in about 40,000 vaccination points, but parents are not going to take their children to take drops. The campaign was even extended by the Ministry of Health due to low adherence.

This is one of the main reasons for the possible return of the disease to Brazil, where there have been no confirmed cases since 1989. According to PAHO (Pan American Health Organization), regional vaccine coverage for this disease has fallen to about 79%. , the lowest since 1994, when the country received a PAHO/WHO eradication certificate.

It is expected that 391,034 children under the age of 5 will have been vaccinated in Santa Catarina by the end of the campaign. But until last Friday (23), the state had 272,965 immunized, about 69.8% of the target.

Polio

Poliomyelitis, also called poliomyelitis or infantile paralysis, is an acute infectious disease caused by a poliovirus that can infect children and adults through direct contact with the feces or mouth secretions of an infected person.

In severe cases, in which muscle paralysis occurs, the lower limbs are most affected.

Vaccination is the only form of prevention. All children under the age of five must be vaccinated.