Sinn der Hilfe Engel ! » geria and Pakistan are the r

by Abdi and Hashi


MOGADISHU Hydro Flask Hydration Wide Mouth UK Sale , Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The UN World Health Organization (WHO) Sunday said it had not recorded any case of polio disease in Somalia in the last three years, declaring the country polio free.


The WHO said the country recorded the last case of polio in 2014 in the central part of the country but has since then remained free of the paralyzing disease.


The UN health agency however warned Somalia remained vulnerable, calling for continued vaccination campaign.


The head of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean which covers Somalia Dr. Mohamed Fiqi said in Mogadishu that massive vaccination campaigns and commitment from government and international actors had ensured the polio virus did not recur in the Horn of Africa country.


"Today we celebrate a major milestone, however we must remember our work is not yet finished. As the world edges closer to eradicating polio, keeping alert in countries that have high risk of polio importation like Somalia is more of priority than ever," Fiqi said.


"As we move forward, the polio programme in Somalia needs to continue to work to maintain and improve the level of population immunity against polio through target vaccination campaign and strengthening of the routine immunization services and infrastructure," Fiqi added.


The declaration by WHO keeps Somalia outside the last group of countries which still record cases of polio in the world.


Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan are the remaining countries where polio is still being recorded. The WHO chief warned Somalia remains at risk of importation of the virus from these countries.


Somalia President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo praised efforts to rid his country of the polio disease which he noted had subjected many children into suffering.